Redundant
by CrimsonCobwebs
Summary: FINISHED! Something's wrong with Garnet and it's caused Zidane to lose his soul. The gang are reunited again to fight an evil that's been festering before their very eyes! PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter one

_Okay this is my first fanfic ever submitted so I'd be really happy if you commented, even if yu hate it! I've been wanting to write a fanfic about FF9 for ages and I was so happy when this idea popped into my head! I've really enjoyed writing it so I'd_like_ people to enjoy reading it... hopefully!And I got to include Mikoto dances happily. _

_Background info on the title: Definition,Redundant - not needed anymore. This goes for a lot ofcharacters and situationsin the story but if I tell you now i'll spoil it!_

**Chapter one**

'She's all alone again  
Wiping the tears from her eyes  
Some days he feels like dying  
Some days it's not worth trying  
Now that they both are finding  
She gets so sick of crying.'  
Extraordinary Girl – Green Day

_Are you still crying?_

She didn't reply.

_Has he gone again?_

She covered her ears with her palms, slick with the salty tears that trickled down her cheeks.

_Oh, poor girl. So alone. So alone. You were always alone._

She curled up beneath her sheets into a ball, hugging herself and rocking slightly as she tried to block the voices.

_But we are with you, love. Haven't we always been with you? Haven't we always protected you?_

She knew they were right but she hated them and thought that perhaps she always had done.

_We'll stay with you. We know how to comfort you. We love you. Unlike him. He_ never_ loved you – _

'Shut up! He did… he does! Please… leave me –'

_Alone? Always alone. If he loves you then why are you alone now? Where do you think he is now, hm?_

She squirmed as inner anguish blossomed like a poison flower inside of her as they put images in her mind of him with others… so many others; they showed him touching them, kissing their naked forms, slick with sweat, his lust building as they became one, making them cry out with pleasure. She grasped her head and cried out.

'No no! These are all false! You're wrong! He'd never –'

_He has betrayed you countless times and we know and we saw and we pitied you, love, for falling for such an unworthy fool._

She said nothing now, silent tears wetting her pillow. She stopped rocking and curled tighter into a ball, cloaked in the midnight darkness that invaded her room.

_Sweet one, you are so fragile and weak. He bewitched you with a façade of love and look at what you have become. Look at what he has done to you. You are an empty shell of a person, broken and pathetic._

She looked at herself, naked beneath the sheets and felt a sudden burst of loathing erupt in her. She directed it at herself and clawed at her body until blood and skin was lodged beneath her nails and crimson lines bleached her milk-white skin. She was pathetic and useless, how easily she could be manipulated by simple words and gestures. She was no queen!

_But you are soon to become a great one: one that will live forever in the books of history and memories. Your people will remember you for eternity. Isn't that what you want, love?_

She wiped away her tears and nodded at nothing, listening to the voices that purred in her mind.

_It is time to begin, love. We must prepare for a new beginning_.

**Three years later**

Zidane ambled down the cobbled streets of Alexandria whistling a tune while wondering what sort of reaction his return would induce. He was eagerly anticipating seeing his beloved wife again; he had missed her dearly after all and longed to see her face and hear her melodious voice once more. He felt ashamed for leaving her alone for three years but he was sure she would understand. The mission had been of import to her as well, she had shown great interest in the artefact and although she had been adverse to the idea of him retrieving it for her, she hadn't seem at all irked by his departure.

Then again, he didn't realise that it would take so long just to accomplish the task of obtaining such a tiny gem. It had been the other side of the world and hidden deep within an underground cave riddled with passageways and the most ferocious of monsters – just like the archaeologist has informed Garnet.

But Zidane saw this as an excellent opportunity not only to indulge himself in another quest but to make his wife happy as well. He had only been back at the palace for eight months when the information on the artefact came through but Zidane was adamant to go and felt that it would not harm their relationship.

His and Garnet's relationship was an amorous one and they spent every waking – and sleeping – moment with one another. But over a space of just a few short years of living in Alexandria Castle the thief had become restless and belligerent. He left not long after when a noble requested for a small group of Knights to retrieve a mystical sword from the melting Ice Cavern. It was surely a dangerous quest but Zidane was bored and volunteered to go immediately. Garnet never complained once so he made a habit of taking requests of that sort.

Perhaps I stretched it a little too far this time, Zidane thought with a grin.

His boots clonked on the wooden draw bridge as he strode up to the castle's entrance. The Pluto Knights stared at him with their mouths gaping open in shock. Zidane acknowledged them with a cheeky grin and shoved his hands in the pockets of his dirty, black trousers.

The sound of metal clinking together methodically accompanied with the heavy footfalls announced the arrival of Adelbert Steiner. He came marching around the corner with an authoritive frown on his face and came to a jerky halt as he spotted the Genome.

Zidane had expected some sort of amiable welcome – even from Steiner – but… he just stood there, mouth agape, arms hanging limply by his side. Zidane would've of mistaken the reaction for shock if he had not seen the look in his eyes; a whirlwind of sadness, pity, confusion and anxiety raged through those open windows and Zidane became concerned.

'Hey Rusty, is my wife busy?'

Steiner's mouth snapped shut and his eyes grew wider. He coughed nervously. 'Oh. Y-yes. I mean…No. I…err… how long have you been back?'

'Not long,' Zidane chirped and followed Steiner down the opulent corridors of the palace. 'I must've got in some time early this morning by boat.'

'I see…. And you didn't…sp-speak to anyone one the way?'

'Nope. Came right here to see Dagg – er – Garnet.'

'I see.'

Zidane followed the captain while attempting to tug the wrinkles out of his filthy shirt; previously white and whole, a long gash now severed the material across his chest, a scar marring his skin beneath; a close call.

He was eager to tell his tale to everyone and was slightly annoyed when Steiner didn't press him for questions about his quest. The knight merely trotted hastily in front of him, pressing nothing but silence onto the man behind him. At that time though, Zidane let it pass, he was more anxious to see his wife.

They came to the Grand Hall and Steiner halted him and gave him another peculiar look.

'Zidane, there is something…something I should t-tell you,' he began. Zidane had suspected that something was wrong and braced himself for the worst as horrific images danced through his mind.

'I… Her Majesty…she…'

'Steiner! Let him in!'

Zidane nearly burst when two separate emotions suddenly clashed and confronted each other. Joy overruled the worry as her voice rang shrilly through the arching doors before them and filled every fibre of his being with an immense passion that he would not be able to relate to for a long time after. He bumbled clumsily through the doorway and looked up to the elegant throne that crowned the end of the hall, and at the figure that sat on its golden lap.

She was as beautiful as he remembered. Her dark hair was plaited down her back, her face as perfect as a china dolls and her skin just as white, her eyes were dark beacons, gold flecked, swimming with emotion and rimmed with long, feathery eyelashes. An ornate dress of cream and gold rippled to the floor, adding to her elegant appearance.

'Garnet?' he breathed softly, and approached her cautiously, as if any sudden movement would shatter her fragile form, 'I-I'm back.'

Zidane felt a shiver run down his spine as her eyes rested on him. A painted smile decorated her face and her eyes were cold like steel.

'Yes. I know. I've been _aching_ to see you again, husband,' her voice was crisp and frosty. The look in her eyes unnerved Zidane and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

'Yeah, I missed you a lot, Dagger. I'm glad I'm back.'

She stood abruptly and he saw anger flash in her eyes. Her fists were clenched balls beside her slender thighs.

'You did not miss me!' she hissed, and then relaxed suddenly, the fiery spark soothed by a chilling calmness that smoothed over her features. 'Why did it take so long, love?'

'Well…erm, it wasn't the easiest of tasks you know…I spent most of my energy just trying to enter –'

'Liar!' she screeched, 'Liar! Liar! Liar! I know what you've been doing you bastard! Do you think I don't know?' Her voice had become hideously high pitched and cracked under her fury.

Zidane had taken a few steps back in surprise at her unexpected outburst. He was confused and somehow injured by this, yet through the vines of gentle emotions rose the head of a snake; black anger that burned cold flames inside his chest.

'What exactly are you accusing me of?'

She confronted him, face to face and he could see a difference now she was closer. Her eyes were full of pain and something else that he couldn't recognise, something that twisted his soul and made him want to scream.

'Don't pretend you don't know. I'm not a little girl anymore! I know what you've been doing… fucking all those girls, you loved it didn't you? Were they so much better than me? Did you tell them so after?'

'Dagger, I never betrayed you. You're my wife. I lov –'

'Don't say those words! Never never never speak those words to me ever again! I want you to –'

She stopped mid sentence and stared wide eyed past her husband to the doorway. She shut her mouth and a ghost of a smile flickered upon her altered features. Despite himself, Zidane turned around and was faced by a younger man staring fearfully at his wife and him.

'I-I hope I haven't come a-at a bad time…'

He was obviously in his early twenties and had eyes as round as an owls' and as blue as the sky. He had a drooping mouth and a long, swan-like neck with tufts of dark hair sprouting thickly from his head. The man's eyes fixed on Garnet but darted occasionally to Zidanes.

'No, no,' she cooed and reached out for him, 'You've come at a perfect time, my love.'

Zidane flinched and felt as if every part of his body had been frozen. The hall seemed to whirl and spin and reality slipped from his fingers like grains of sand as he watched them embrace and share a passionate kiss. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, tried to convince himself that he must be dreaming; he was numb to the core.

But soon this numbness boiled away.

He felt his heart physically shattering. In all his life he had never felt such pain, it was an unbearable load that lingered heavily inside his chest, clawing out at his very body, mind and soul like a panicking bird trapped in a cage. A cloud of despair descended upon him and he wished that it wasn't real, that this wasn't happening. He clutched his chest suddenly and found it had to breathe; it hurt so much! Hot tears sprung to his wide eyes that stayed locked onto the couple no matter how hard he tried to pull them away. He couldn't bear it, he couldn't. It was too much.

The feeling swept over him and was replaced by its darker sibling. A haze clouded his vision and he began to shake uncontrollably. He glared at them with clenched teeth, his eyes were shooting fire and the weight inside his chest began to froth and boil and spit. His tail lashed back and forth savagely. He let out a frustrated cry and he drew his dagger - the same one she cut her hair with - the same one he would kill her with.

The man released Garnet from his grip and took several small steps back, trembling and attempting to speak; he raised his hands in defense at the older man. But it wasn't him that Zidane wanted. It was _her. _She stood there with her eyes shut and a slight smile of satisfaction on her face as if nothing had happened between them at all and he was so irate he wanted her dead.

The Genome raised his dagger above his head in order to strike but something stirred within the depths of his mind, something that had not been awoken for many, many years.

_Zidane…_

He froze in his position and swallowed but found his mouth to be dry. He was looking at his wife straight in the face now, inches from her beautiful visage that called to him, repulsed him, attracted him, repelled him. Her features were flawless, an indomitable beauty that he wanted so much and instead she was sharing her bed with someone else. He remembered her from before, pure, magnanimous, loving. Who was this that stood before him? So dark and imperfect, dominated by a ghoulish grin that chilled him to the bone? He loved her so much. _What… what am I doing?_

_Zidane, what are you doing?_

His sister's voice whispered inside his head and surprised him so muchhis dagger clattered to the floor at her feet and Garnet looked at him quizzically, the man still quivering behind her like a lost child. His mind was a theatre of thoughts that raced and struggling within him to be acknowledged.

'What's wrong husband? I thought you were going to harm me?' Her voice was cool and controlled. It made the fire spit cold sparks, singeing his heart and soul. Of course he couldn't kill her!

Something shifted behind her eyes and her smile dissipated. 'You left me alone. I was always alone. You kept leaving me. Over and over. Wasn't I…wasn't I good enough for you? Did you have to go elsewhere to slake your lust?' He couldn't say anything, just stand so close to her that he could smell her sweet scent and watch as she curled her fists and glared daggers at him. 'Zidane Tribal I hate you. I hate you. I hate you! _I hate you so fucking much!_ You are and never were my husband or lover or friend I hate you! I never want you near me again, I never want to see your face, I never want your touch back, I never want to hear your voice I want you away from me! Get away from me! _Get away from me! I hate you!_'

She pushed him. He was caught off guard and stumbled backwards away from her. Her complexion had become sinister and horrifically distorted in a twisted grin as his own dagger flashed in her hand. She threw herself upon him in a cloud of white material that passed before his eyes. Garnet straddled him and attempted to plunge the dagger into his chest, her body arched as she drew her body back and Zidane caught a glimpse of insanity in her eyes. It was pure instinct and reflex that blocked the attack, gripping her wrist and twisting it until she cried out in pain. The dagger fell from her hand. He pushed her off of him and reclaimed his weapon before confronting her again.

His mind was on fire as he studied her; she clutched her left wrist and leaned forward slightly panting, a heinous look scarring her expression. She had tried to kill him!

'Dagger…I…'

'Don't talk to me!' she screeched, tears slid down her cheeks but she was still furious. 'Don't say my name! Don't say you're sorry! Don't give me an excuse! Just…just…go!'

Zidane stood with his dagger in one hand and the other outstretched toward her. He felt like he was petrified, unable to move from that spot, unable to take his eyes off of her. He loved her so much but he could see it in her eyes. The hate. The hate she felt for him was abundant and obvious behind those brown beacons that he had spent hours staring into before. Something fell away from him then. A hole appeared in his soul and a part of him became dead, crumbled away within him like the skeleton of a dead leaf. That fragile part of him was no more and he was to change from that day.

She saw the change too but tried not to react to it. She saw the light go out in his eyes and watched his face uncertainly as he let his arms hang limply beside him, let the dagger drop heavily to the floor with an echoless clunk. His tail stopped moving and just hung lifelessly behind him. His eyes dropped to the floor, his expression blank.

Her husband's arm twitched and he turned away without a word and left. He left her. _Alone. Again. Always alone. I'm always alone. You're always alone. Don't you see? We told you, didn't we? If he loved you he would've stayed, would've tried to understand. I wonder where he's going now? I bet I know. I bet you know. You – _

The door slammed and rung out loudly through the hall but fell on deaf ears.

_Are always alone and now you've made it worse you stupid stupid girl why did I do that why did I dismiss the person I love? I love him Zidane come back come back!_

_Why are you calling him to come back? After everything he did to you? You don't love him. He doesn't love you._

'He does! He does love me he said!'

_If he did love you then why did he leave so quickly? We've told you, love, you only need us. Do what we say and we shall show you true emotion. We shall show you true love. He is not part of our equation. _

The man behind Garnet stirred and tottered to the door as silently as he could, he was sure his wife had gone quite mad. She was crouched in the middle of the floor, rocking slightly, speaking quietly to herself and shaking her head furiously.

_And your new husband is no longer part of this ordeal anymore. Remember, everyone is pawns in this game. Dispose of him before he causes trouble, love. _

The Queen of Alexandria reclaimed her composure and previous husband's weapon and rose. The dagger's hilt felt cold and comforting against her palm as she stalked her new husband's exiting form swiftly. With one sharp flick she thrust the dagger into his back. His arms came up in shock and he let out a stifled cry. Blood snaked along the hilt and stained her hands. She felt the warm liquid trickle down her fingers and puddle in the hollow of her palm, her sleeves soaking up the crimson blood. Garnet smiled contently.


	2. Chapter two

_Please review it! I'll be happy even if the reviewer says it's a load of crap! I just want to know what you think! does a happy dance Mikoto's in this chapter!_

Chapter 2.

'Now I cannot speak, I've lost my voice  
I'm speechless and redundant  
'Cause I love you is not enough  
I'm lost for words.'  
Redundant – Green Day

Mikoto leaned back against a slender tree and let gold sequins of light bead her face. The leaves above shushed soothingly in the midsummer breeze and all that could be heard was a the cheerful chuckle of a nearby stream and the odd crunch from one her brothers or sisters strolling past, their feet treading heavily on the undergrowth beneath. She thought that it was very relaxing; in Terra everything had been banal and quiet. The lights that had shone hurt them and everything was so still and lifeless, including her brothers and sisters. Yet every living thing on Gaia pulsed with life and movement, which she treasured and studied day and night. Even her fellow Genomes seemed to show signs of emotion now, the main one being curiosity. She could see why Zidane developed the personality he boasted when she first met him on Terra.

On her arrival at the Black Mage village she wasn't overly positive that their new home was appropriate to their needs and life style but she found that the Genome's had settled neatly among their gentle neighbors who were eager to teach, learn, listen and help. They were fascinating in her opinion and she enjoyed watching and talking to them just as much as they did with her kind. She felt both ignorant and superior in their presence, they knew much about the world and nothing about themselves while she knew much about themselves and near nothing about the world. Their dwellings were also peculiar, consisting mainly of wood and straw, she thought they were quite puzzling creatures. She sensed their powers but knew they choose not to convey it in acts of violence unless for protection. The odd monster would wander in from time to time after all.

Footsteps severed her thread of thought and she sat up. A Genome stared down at her with blank eyes, his tail hanging limply between his legs, expression betraying no emotion. 'The chosen one has arrived,' he announced softly.

Mikoto nodded and stood up, then brushing dirt and leaves from her clothes she replied, 'Yes, come with me little brother. We shall meet him at the gate and survey the damage with our own eyes.'

The Genome blinked then followed her through the wood into the cheerful village of the mages.

This wasn't him. This wasn't her brother, no, this wasn't the Zidane she remembered or knew. He was like the others now, or at least acting like them. An empty vessel. He stood with his arms hanging limply by his side and every so often he would clench his fists very tightly, hold them like that for a moment, then release them. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the activity surrounding him; his eyes were steadily fixed onto the floor.

The crowd of mages and Genome's that had congregated around the motionless warrior parted for Mikoto who walked with a solemn expression carved into her face. When she stood before him he didn't acknowledge her presence but continued to be enthralled with the ground. Before she could speak, a short, well-known mage came trotting up behind her and called in a singsong voice: 'What's wrong with him, Mikoto? Has he stopped?'

Zidane's sister stared for a while into her brother's face then answered slowly, 'No, Vivi. I think... His...heart...is broken'

Vivi stood beside her and looked up into Zidane's apathetic eyes. Zidane stared through him. 'I think he's sad,' the little mage said thoughtfully, 'and hurting inside.' He turned to Mikoto and stared at her through oval yellow eyes then asked quite intently: 'His heart is broken? But who...?'

Mikoto took a step closer to her older brother. 'Zidane.'

No response.

'Zidane please talk to me.'

Silence. She took his hand. It felt cold. 'Zidane, I'm glad you came to see me.'

His tail twitched and his eyes shifted and met hers. They were empty beacons, hazy and unclear and somewhere inside them he was lost within a fog.

'Come, brother.' Mikoto beckoned and led him through the crowd toward the woods.

She arrived at the spot where she had lain beforehand and reclaimed her place, settling herself against a soft patch of moss which was flourishing in vibrant green against it. A soft breeze picked up and rustled their clothes and hair. The stream continued to chuckle incessantly, stifling slightly the distant hoot of an owl. Mikoto stared up at her older brother and motioned for him to sit with her. He did so without a word and leaned his head against her shoulder.

After Kuja died herself and Zidane had become exceedingly close, they visited each other regularly and learnt more about themselves and their worlds; both home and foreign. Secretly, she thought that they had come to love one another, the way brothers and sisters should. She didn't know if he felt the same and was too shy to voice anything of _that_ sort. She knew that their bond was stronger than Zidane's bond with all the other Genomes, Zidane and the others were just linked, just part of the same race. She felt connected to him differently. Perhaps it was because they were both given a soul.

Mikoto stared down at him. His eyes were misty and he was staring past her at the pines beyond. He looked so unhappy. 'Zidane,' she whispered, 'Tell me what happened.'

He cringed and sighed then buried his face in her sand colored hair, just a shade lighter than his.

'Dagger...Garnet... she doesn't love me anymore,' he said thickly.

She pitied him and his broken heart. Looking at him now, she hoped for a moment that she would never fall in love the way he had.

'Three years ago I left Alexandria to find an amulet located not far from here. It…took me everything to get that thing, everything. All for her. The passageways were endless and I was always being stalked by death. Things turned around so quickly; one minute I'd be certain I'd die of starvation, the next I was certain I'd be taken out by a monster. But… here I am.

'All I wanted was to see her again. My beloved wife, my home, my friends. And when I came back I found her in the arms of another man...' His voice began to tremble with anger. He pulled away from her and sat up glaring ahead. In an outburst of frustration he thrashed out suddenly and hit the tree, his hand inches above Mikoto's head. With a tremendous crack several large branches came crashing to the ground centimeters from where his sister sat.

Mikoto showed no outer response to this as the branches thundered about her, yet inside she was startled by this outburst. It was quite unlike Zidane to be unnecessarily violent. Leaves hailed like rain to the ground and there was a few more sickening cracks emitted from trunk that quivered like a blade of grass in the wind. But it wasn't that which worried her...

Zidane remained in the same upright position and didn't seem moved by his show of strength. Could he of become that strong? Just with a single punch he can nearly take out a fully-grown tree? Was it possible? Mikoto's mind danced with questions, if his task of retrieving this item was as difficult as he said it was he must of received much training, therefore increasing his strength, abilities and speed substantially. But surely... not _that_ much?

Her brother hung his head, emotionally fatigued again, looking mournfully at his feet and didn't respond when she called to him again. It was true: he was dying inside.

Mikoto shuffled up beside him and put her hands on her knees, head bowed as if in prayer. She hated seeing him in this state but it seemed that only he could save himself from drowning in the sea of sorrow.

A voice interrupted their silence. 'Lady, dinner is ready.'

Mikoto blinked up at a mage and smiled wanly, nodding her appreciation. She hadn't even heard him approach. Standing, she took her brother's hand again and pulled him to his feet. 'It would…make me really happy…if you came and ate with us.'

He said nothing but let her drag him to dinner.

'But – but why? Why would you want to do such thing?'

'Do you dare question me?'

Steiner looked around for help but, finding none, turned his attention back to his rather wan looking queen. Her hair was unbrushed and she was not washed. Heavy, black circles ringed her eyes, which were blood shot and covered slightly by swollen eyelids. And to sum it all up her appearance actually reflected her personality.

'Well?' Garnet shrieked making the guards that lined the grand hall jump.

'N-no! Of course not, my queen; I-I swore that I would always be in your servitude, I would never deny your orders…it's just that… do you not think that you are acting rather rash?'

'No I do not! Now carry out my orders or you may find yourself demoted from captain!'

His queen had never threatened Steiner before and he was in shock at her statement. He saluted dutifully and marched from the hall feeling shaky.

Outside, Beatrix awaited the new set of commands and greeted him with a formal nod. Noticing his unnerved demeanor she became anxious at what news he was to bring her. She knew just as well as every citizen in Alexandria that the queen had been acting rather peculiar of late and she had feared that she might perform an act that would erode away the kingdoms peaceful reputation they had rebuilt since the recent war.

'What say she?' Beatrix asked her husband.

Steiner shook his head and stared at the floor with a sorrowful expression adorning his face. 'She…she wants us t-to…invade Burmecia…'

'What?' The brunette cried, gripping Steiner by the shoulders and shaking him. 'Surely not! Her Majesty… surely she would not claim war on our allied forces? What lunacy has corrupted her mind?'

'That's just what I'd like to know,' Steiner agreed, scratching his chin pensively. 'You wouldn't think it had anything to do with the thief?'

'Perhaps…though we all know that it was her decision to end her and Zidane's relationship when she married that cowardly man from the market.'

'I knew introducing him to Zidane was a bad idea. I knew that that monkey would be capable of committing cold-blooded murder when provoked in such a manner.'

'I reckon she knew as well,' Beatrix added.

Steiner's arms flailed dramatically in the air and he hushed her, head snapping this way and that. 'Shush! Shush! Do not speak of such things so openly!'

Beatrix tossed her hair behind her shoulders, a small frown etched into her forehead. 'What do you propose we do, darling? It's so sudden and seems to be without reason.'

Steiner turned and stared at the large oak doors to the Grand Hall. 'I…I suppose we…we'll have to carry out her orders…'

He heard her sigh and felt a comforting warmth spread through him as his wife wrapped her arms around his armored torso. 'What dark days have we fallen into, husband?'

It hadn't surprised her when he had agreed on staying. These days were stressful for him; his heart was like a hand grenade ready to detonate, so he needed a quiet refuge where he could be given time to think and consider his options among people who wouldn't bother him. And they didn't. The mage's tottered about their daily business, cheerful as ever, while his brothers and sisters slid quietly past, stealing a melancholy glance every so often. It amazed her when she saw how much everyone cared for him.

Zidane's condition hadn't changed. He would stare glumly into the water for hours, watching the fish dart in the clear shallows, mesmerized by the play of shadow and light dancing upon the surface. Or he would sit high up in the branches of a tree, eclipsed by shadow and whispering leaves, a leg daggling down. He didn't eat much and slept in sudden fits where he would toss and turn and murmur then wake up twice as exhausted as before. The affable and audacious Zidane had disappeared and in his place a laconic, lackluster man had evolved. He was adverse to anything and had become akin to his faceless brothers and sisters, though at least they had curiosity to motivate them. Mikoto doubted if Zidane had anything to motivate him in this apathetic state of mind.

She sat beside him on the wooden bridge outside the inn and listened to the stream tinkling beneath them and the gentle cry of the chocobos. He seemed oblivious to this and just stared blankly at the water, hanging his legs over the side and resting his forehead on the wooden side-guards. Beside him lay an untouched plate of steaming fish and vegetables, releasing a pleasant odor that made her hungry.

'Zidane,' she whispered, 'wont you eat something?'

He turned his head away from her.

It had been two weeks since he had arrived in the Black Mage Village. She spent as much time as she could with him but had to look after her other brothers and sisters and also after the chocobos in the small farm they owned. She had given him some clean clothes to wear but he put his old, torn ones back on when they had been washed. She wished Vivi was here to help with his innocent and carefree ways but he had to leave and collect advanced medical supplies from a distant city that she had never been to.

She pressed on. 'Zidane, please eat some. Your sister cooked it especially for you.' He didn't reply so she tried to arouse a lighter conversation. 'You know, they're doing so well, the other Genomes. I think that…they're actually beginning to find individual skills. Lana – the girl who cooked your food – she is a very good cook. And Toron…he's good at fishing. Kaida's learning how to sew pretty quickly and –'

'Mikoto, what are you good at?' His voice was muffled and hoarse. He didn't turn to look at her.

'I…err…well…I-I don't really know…' the blonde looked down at her hands. _What _am_ I good at?_

There was an awkward pause, and then Zidane sat up straighter and turned to look at his sister. His eyes were slightly glazed and tired looking.

'You're a great leader, Mikoto,' he said. 'You're so patient and kind and understanding. It's no wonder everyone here looks up to you.'

'No… no they don't. They look up to you, Zidane.'

'Maybe. But not in the same way, you're like a kind of mother to them, I think. You've somehow made them separate. You've really made them think about who they are.'

'The mages helped a lot too,' she protested modestly. 'I don't think that it was me really, I mean I do like to – '

Zidane leaned toward her and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her close. She became rigid and felt uncomfortable at being so close to him. What was he doing? She could feel his hot breath against her neck and the warmth of him upon her skin. His hair brushed against her shoulder and he held her so tight, she could actually feel his heart beating against her chest.

'Mikoto,' he whispered. 'Thank you so much for staying with me.' He laughed: a sudden vibration against her chest. 'You know, you've changed a lot. I –'

'Zidane!'

Her brother released her from his embrace, leaving the female Genome swimming in a cloudy sea of emotion. Zidane stared over her shoulder a slight smile fluttering on his lips. _An improvement, yes but it's not the same smile that I used to know. _

'Vivi,' he greeted. 'You okay?'

The little mage came to a stop and bowed his head panting, his hat tipping forward. 'Zidane…th-there's bad n-news!'

'What is it?' Zidane asked with indifference, shifting his eyes to stare again into the shimmering shallows of the stream.

Vivi perked his head. 'It's Burmecia, Zidane! It's being attacked!'

Zidane didn't move or respond. He seemed to have slipped back into his apathy. Mikoto stared at him with a mixture of sympathy and contempt. She shuffled over to Vivi on her knees and looked into his amber eyes.

'Vivi, what happened?'

The little mage sent a questioning look to Zidane, which went unacknowledged, then faced his sister. He wrung his gloved hands nervously and spoke in a fluent manner.

'I was in the shop in Burmecia talking to Aki about different types of medicine I could use to cure poison when there was this huge explosion from outside. The whole building trembled and Aki and me ran out to see what was going on. Mikoto, Aki was cut down right before my eyes! T-the town was overrun with soldiers! Everywhere…there were bodies of women and children and men… I wouldn't of survived if it hadn't of been…'

Vivi paused and looked at Zidane for a while. 'If it hadn't of been for Steiner.'

The male Genome's blue eyes shifted and looked at Vivi. He betrayed no emotion but made it clear he was at least listening. Mikoto guessed he was raging with emotion inside.

'It…it was Alexandria attacking. They were invading Burmecia. Steiner… he didn't say anything…just looked at me and shook his head. H-he looked sad.'

'But surely not Alexandria?' Mikoto asked feverently. 'Not after the bilateral they both agreed to after the war! What reason would Alexandria have?'

Suddenly Zidane lunged forward, his teeth bared and snarling, he gripped Vivi by the collar and lifted the terrified mage into the air, shaking him violently and hissing through gritted teeth: 'Was she there?'

'Wh-wha…? W-who? I-I d-don't…don't…w-ho?'

'You know who!' Zidane screamed and threw Vivi aside. The Genome pounced on him again and lifted his hand to hit the mage but Mikoto was between them already, seizing Zidane's raised fist and pressing her weight upon his torso. He fell backwards onto the planks of wood and screeched obscenities at her. She held him tightly around the chest; eyes squeezed shut, feeling his rapid breathing beneath her cheek. He struggled and clawed at the smaller form wrestling him to the ground but she wouldn't let go. Mikoto was glad now that he hadn't been eating much; his energy was sparse. If he had not of been so emotionally and physically exhausted she would have been flung far from his chest by now – probably unconscious.

'Zidane…Zidane stop! Wh-what are you doing? Please! Stop it! Calm down!' His rasping cries and frantic struggling seemed quelled by her pleas and he relaxed slowly, his breathing coming in short gasps like a person inhaling clumps of air while swimming.

Vivi was shivering beside the struggling siblings, terrified out of his skin.

'Zidane. It's okay. It's alright.' Mikoto whispered soothingly. 'You don't need to get so angry. Vivi's done nothing wrong. It's all right, okay? Don't worry. It's okay now.'

He groaned as if in pain but didn't move her off of him. 'No…no it's not okay. Everything is…' He choked on the words and she could tell it was only his fragmented pride that stopped him from breaking down before them.

Vivi then crouched down next to Zidane's face and Mikoto imagined him smiling kindly. 'It… I'm sorry. I didn't see her there, Zidane. Dagger, I mean. But I think that… there must be something wrong with her because… she wouldn't attack Burmecia for no reason, would she? And also, I know that she loves you. She told me lots after the Kuja thing. I don't believe that she would just leave you like that.' Zidane turned and looked at him, realization blossoming in his eyes. 'I think that you should go and help Burmecia. I think that… that's what the normal Dagger would want and I'm sure that that's what Freya needs right now.'

Mikoto was flung backward as Zidane leapt to his feet and raised his fists to chest height in a martial art stance, a grin erupting on his face. 'If Freya needs my help then I'm there!' Then a little more somberly: 'I…I don't know if there's anything wrong with Dagger but I…wont let that stop me from helping my friends. Right now, as far as I'm concerned Alexandria's just another country invading another. And right now, I know which side I belong to!'

Mikoto knew that Zidane's heart still belonged with Alexandria and his wife; this act was just a façade of truth. He was still angry and wanted to vent it in some way, perhaps he was attempting to hurt her by joining forces with her newfound 'enemy'. However, she agreed with Vivi; there must be something amiss if the queen would suddenly enforce such an attack on her allies.

'I better come I suppose.' Vivi grumbled glumly, kicking an imaginary rock on the bridge. 'Not that I like wars or anything and I don't want to get the village involved either… but I wanna help Freya too… after everything you know… We should find out what's goin' on too…'

'That's the spirit!' Zidane clapped him on the back and Vivi toppled forward. The Genome squatted beside him. 'Vivi… I'm sorry about…' He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

Vivi nodded but as Zidane turned away Mikoto caught the anxious and questioning glance that the little mage threw her.

_Review it...please! Tell me what you think of Mikoto and Zidane's relationship! There's obviously no love interest there if you're wondering...laughs_


	3. Chapter three

_I hope you're enjoying it so far! More characters are included in this chapter and a few surprises too! Oh…and lots of blood and killing etc. R&R 'cause you love me! _

**Chapter 3**

'Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.'

Ernest Hemingway

Freya stood inside one of the stone towers. She stared out of the small arched window, at the gray skies, emptying its watery contents onto the earth below in a silvery screen. It blurred and distorted her view of Burmecia, though this time she was grateful; she did not want to be a witness of the torture, rape and killing of her own kind.

It had been hopeless. The attack was taken completely by surprise and they were overrun almost immediately, with no time to even give orders. Her warriors had acted by instinct alone, and even that had proven to be not enough to defeat Alexandria's army.

_Alexandria… How could she do this? Was it her doing? What wrong have we done to deserve such a massacre? _These few thoughts rattled in her mind as she briskly trotted down the stairwell, intending to see Frately and report that the archers were set and ready to defend the castle, for they were both sure that was the place they would achieve their goal – whatever that may be.

Frately stood above the rest, his spear standing straight, a head taller than he, the pointed tip catching the light in a mesmerizing fashion akin to the moonlight playing on the tossed waves of the sea. Freya felt an acute surge of emotion ripple within her core, but she knew this was no time for sweet emotions. This was war. She must defend my home at all costs.

'Frately, the archers are ready and positioned across the top-left wing of the castle, as you instructed.'

'Excellent, now please Lady Freya, onward with your duty as a Dragon Knight.'

'Only with you at my side.'

'Freya, must you be so insistent?' he argued. She stared at him stonily. If she were to die this day then it would be fighting – fighting by his side.

'Yes I must.'

He smiled grimly and adjusted his helm and grip on his lance. 'Come then, let's not delay; if we die then we die fighting for Burmecia!'

There was a roar of approval from the crowd of Dragon Knights and not a moment was lost as they charged through the iron clad doors of the palace and out into streets.

The rain hit Freya like chocobo eggs, clanging on her armor and ringing in her ears. The cobbles were slick with a mixture of blood and rain, shining like fish's scales in the gray light. The knights collided with the onslaught on Alexandrian's who had been finishing off the last set off Burmecian's sent out to face them. The front line surged with impact from the circular shields the opposing army carried. Freya was near the center alongside Frately, but both fought their way to the front and confronted Garnet's army with teeth bared and eyes flaring red fire.

Freya was faced with a Knight of Pluto who waved his sword in the air and screamed to the sky. His weapon arched downward toward her shoulder. She parried it away and doubled her lance back with a fatal counter that left the Knight disemboweled. She stepped over his carcass and confronted the next, a woman this time, forcing Freya back with her sturdy shield into the battling warriors behind. The Burmecian spread her legs and gritted her teeth, using the wooden staff of her lance to push back. The Alexandrian was over powered and stopped pushing, holding it to her left side and gripping her Long sword with her right. Freya took lead and swiped upward. The woman parried it, and parried the next attack, blocking Freya's third attempt with her shield. Freya snarled at her and jumped up to weeping heavens. The soldier looked up but too late. The Burmecian landed on her with a sickening crack and positioned herself on the dead Alexandrian's back.

Amid the heated battle Frately kept no eye on Freya. She was an excellent fighter and though he cared dearly for her he knew better than even Sir Zidane that she was capable of taking care of herself during battle. And in this battle he knew she would fight to the end, for he thought that this would, indeed be the end. There were just over fifty Burmecians fighting on ground level and his scout had estimated there to be little more than one hundred and fifty Alexandrians. Of course the left tower top wore a necklace of archers that could take down at least half of the enemy but the two oppositions were fighting at too close quarters – he would not risk having half of his warriors brought down by arrows accidentally. The rain wasn't helping either, veiling the sides with a light curtain that made things hazy from a distance.

It would be fair to say that the Burmecian's weren't exactly plowing through the attackers. A puddle is no competition for the ocean. Freya believed that the Dragon Knights were more skilled and experienced than those of Alexandrian blood but they seemed to make no indent in the warrior's army. The harder the Burmecian's pushed the harder the Alexandrian's would push back. The bodies piled up beneath their feet, some crying out in pain as metal studded boots trampled them to death, others staring glassy eyed into the mourning sky. Freya's men didn't seem to be pushing the army back – as was their plan – but they themselves were being forced to retreat and soon found themselves trapped against the walls of the castle, forming a snake-like line. She heard Frately scream above the commotion and ducked her head. Arrows came whistling through the air accompanied soon after by cries of pain and confusion from the Alexandrians. They fell before her feet, the feathered tails of arrows still quivering in their necks and faces.

The archers created the gap they needed between the two armies and the Burmecians made sure they quickly filled it up before the Alexandrian's could advance.

Freya leapt upon her next attacker and sliced through flesh at a man's unshielded throat. Moving swiftly onto the next one she fought to get passed her shield; sparks glittering brightly as metal met metal. The Alexandrian stabbed with her sword to the right and as Freya blocked it the woman hit her with the rim of her shield in the upper stomach. Freya felt herself falling to the ground, blood gushing from the wound. She heard the hiss of a sword above her and instead of regaining her balance she let herself drop to the floor and suffered only a shallow cut on her lower back. She rolled and stood behind her enemy, quickly twisting her lance so she cut the other down before the she had time to attack Freya from behind again. She turned to confront the next Alexandrian but he fell before her with an arrow protruding from his socket.

Frately had gained much ground and his warriors snaked behind him, also covering his sides from attack as he chopped down all that lay before him. His archers had done well; they had the sense to focus their rain a little ahead of their line to avoid accidental deaths. True, they were advancing faster now but he was concerned. Glancing around he estimated that the number of his warriors and dropped below thirty and they hadn't even taken out half of Queen Garnet's army. What was worse, he knew that at the end of this onslaught waited the hardest challenge of all: Captain Adelbert Steiner. He could not see him and didn't dare take his eyes off the attackers before him for too long, but he knew he was there, he knew he awaited the survivors. He wondered now if he would even be one of them.

Freya knew too. She didn't care to fight with the knight, she was sure he was much more powerful than her. She had watched him fight Necron from her dizzied state on the Hill Of Despair. He seemed invincible and she had no wish to test his power. Of course, it wasn't just that. Steiner and herself were comrades. They had fought side by side in a battle to save Gaia and she wondered whether she would even have the inner strength to battle with him – for it was not he who gave the order, it was Garnet. If Steiner had agreed, why wasn't he on the front lines hunting Freya and Frately out? She wanted questions answered if anything! She wondered whether she would survive to ask them.

The cloud of thoughts passed over Frately when he spotted Freya out of the corner of his eye. Surely she could not take much more? She was bleeding badly from her stomach and back, her left arm had been made immobile somehow and she was struggling to fight with just her right hand. Gods, he admired her determination. If he could not see it with his own eyes he would not of thought her injured. She continued to fight as strongly as before but judging by the number before them and the physical state she was in already, he was concerned for her well being. He bit back his frustration and turned his concentration back to raging onward.

Freya's last attacker had caught her off guard by leaping past her and searing through her left arm. It had become awkward to use her lance but it was all she had. Momentarily, Freya found herself surrounded so spun around with her lance pointed outward. The knights around her fell to the ground stunned, she then leapt upon three of them in turn before they could gather themselves up and slit their throats in a spray of crimson blood. The other two were disorientated from being knocked down, so she had no trouble in annihilating them.

She struggled on, blood slick lance in hand, her armor dirtied and dented like an old tin can kicked about in the street. They were making ground but with substantial loss. They were outnumbered eight to one, she estimated, and their odds weren't increasing for the better. It was made worse by the fact that the rain had become heavier and the archers were guessing where to aim. Soon they would have to stop by Frately's order. But for Freya, it was only going to get worse.

Something strange was beginning to happen amidst the crowds of surging soldiers. A ripple occurred some distance before her, like a leaf falling onto the surface of a puddle. She strained to understand what was happening while battling against the relentless attacks of the Alexandrians. It came to her quite suddenly then, as she witnessed one of her men being flung like an unwanted toy above the fighting. The opposite army were parting for something – someone, and Freya wasn't making a wild stab in the dark at who they would be making a pathway for.

A dark patch began to spread through her mind like a drop of ink on wet paper. Doubt and fear reared their ugly heads and snapped their jaws about her body while her confidence and rational thought retreated to a sheltered, unreachable place in the back of her mind. He was coming for her. He was hunting her down. Garnet had ordered him to kill her. She felt so helpless and childlike then, she knew eventually she would have to face him but she was so… afraid. She did not want to fight with this man who had killed by the hundred. She did not want to fight this man who did not tire even after fighting the strongest of enemies. _Gods be with me I cannot face him!_

The warrior in front of her was pushed aside and there stood Captain Adelbert Steiner, his eyes burning beneath his silver helm, his jaw locked in a grim expression. He glowered at Freya and drew his sword from its sheath soundlessly.

A sudden memory surfaced then, catching her like a bright light shining through the fog. She was at the age of about six, and was with her mother running some sort of errand about the town. The crowds around her were unlike anything she'd ever seen because it was one of those rare days in Burmecia where it wasn't raining. They had swarmed around like bees trapped in a jar and she got separated from her mother due to their pushing and shoving. A cry had come up from the crowd and she had run towards it, thinking it to be her mother calling out for her. Freya had run into an opening and had come face to face with the most hideous monster she had ever seen. She remembered every detail of monsters face right from the dull shine it's fangs to the amber sheen of its oval eyes. She remembered it so well because she had been standing in front of it, staring it right in the eye. Someone had swept her off her feet then, and ran with her from the beast that had trespassed onto the streets of Burmecia. But the feeling that she had felt while staring into monster's savage eyes reminded her of the feeling she felt now; the black fear that screamed at her to run yet the strange fascination that strung her to the spot, weaved into a bundled mess of confusion. She had felt both sick and sharply alert. Both filled with terror and curiosity. Staring up into Steiner's eyes – she was lost in a sea of these dark emotions.

Steiner held his sword with one hand and bought it level to her face. She realized suddenly that she was kneeling on the floor. Did she kneel when she had uttered the prayer in her head or when she felt the overwhelming terror surface inside her? She could not even remember! Everyone looked like they were wading through water, their movements clumsy and slow, their shouts muffled and distant. Was this death she was staring at?

'Freya.'

Her eyes snapped open so wide you could see the whites around her pupils. She stared up at him with a little gasp and the world speeded up again.

'Freya.' His voice rumbled like an earthquake, their deep notes penetrating her very soul. 'I do not wish to fight you. I see you as a friend, not an enemy. I wish nothing more than to see you safe and well and happy but… today is a sad day. I must ask something from you.'

He held his sword evenly before her face. Freya became almost unaware of the screams and cries and deaths around her. All she could do is utter a tiny, pathetic sound to acknowledge his request. Somehow he had heard her.

'Queen Garnet has ordered me to destroy you and gain control of Burmecia. Possessing Burmecia is no difficult task for the likes of the Alexandrian army but to kill the likes of you however…' His frown deepened until she could only just see his dark, fiery eyes beneath his furrowed brow. 'Will be more difficult.'

She continued to kneel, numb all over. She hadn't even realized she had let go of her lance. Freya had to use every last bit of her concentration to listen to Steiner. She had never been so afraid of death in her life; it was amazing that just by being threatened by him she could become this weak, cowering creature so quickly.

'It's not that I could not destroy you.' He continued in his deep, menacing growl. 'You would be a worthy adversary, I know without a doubt but… it's just that… I could not live with myself after. Freya, I dare not disobey her Majesty but… I just can't.' His demeanor had not changed. She now suspected that it was to mislead his troops into thinking that he was mocking her before killing her, for his eyes were now so full of sorrow and remorse. 'My friend, I will make you an offer. Surrender Burmecia to us now and we shall cease this killing spree, claim Burmecia under Alexandria's name and you and I shall not fight. You must leave Burmecia forever and start a life elsewhere. The Queen… I shall tell her myself that I killed you with my own hands. If you decline I will have no choice but to fight you until death and take over Burmecia using this merciless method we use now.'

After a moment Freya recovered her voice and replied slowly: 'S-Steiner… You would do all that to save my life? You would actually deny the very duty you are sworn by and betray the Queen by not keeping your word to destroy me?'

Steiner said nothing but stared intently into her eyes beneath his helm. _He is a true friend._

Freya picked herself up, filled with a newfound confidence that this killing would end, and reclaimed her lance. She stood before the captain and raised her chin in silent gratitude.

'Steiner, I would rather die one thousand deaths than hand over Burmecia without a fight.'

Steiner nearly dropped his sword. 'Freya! Don't be a fool! My offer was reasonable, think how many will die at the hand of your stupidity!'

'Think how many will suffer enslaved to your mad queen's rule.' Freya smiled sweetly. 'Dragon Knights are honorable warriors and we would fight until every last soldier is dead if it meant maintaining the freedom of our country. I would never abandon my people.' Then she spread her legs, bent her knees, turned her upper torso slightly to the right and proclaimed: 'If Death takes me today; so be it. Adelbert Steiner, let us fight.'

For a moment, Steiner stared at the Dragon Knight in disbelief. What fool was this to stand before him and turn down such a reasonable offer? She could be one of few to leave his presence in battle alive, yet she chose to die instead? Was she so willing to throw her life away? He was about to argue with her more but she had leapt into the air above him. Steiner dispelled his clouded thoughts and readied himself; he had seen this attack numerous times; it was her specialty. Freya threw herself from the gray sky like a kestrel plummeting onto its prey. She seemed to actually split the very air in two with her lance. Steiner raised his sword above him so that the flat side faced the sky.

The impact could be felt by all the troops and if they weren't so busy fighting for their lives perhaps they would of dropped their weapons and turned to witness the spectacular fight. Freya's lance met Steiner's blade with a clang. The vibration it sent up their arms nearly made them drop their weapons. Freya leapt away and hopped off of an approaching Alexandrian's chest back onto the Captain who deflected the lance deftly. He swung to his right and chipped Freya's bleeding stomach, which caused another bolt of pain coursing through her middle. She pushed it to the back of her mind and went on the defense to recover. Steiner lunged at her and she used the pole of her lance to block it again and again until she was afraid he might hack through it.

A childish emotion came upon her suddenly as she realized how unfair the situation was; he had emerged into battle fresh and woundless and had challenged her, while she suffered from numerous wounds and fatigue; was this battle already won? Her endurance was failing, she was standing on feet made of lead and she held her weapon in a watery grip.

_Perhaps I should give up and leave._ _Would that fate be worse than death? After all, if I were to die beneath Steiner's sword, it would be an honorable death at least. _

Her thoughts of surrender were quickly drowned out when she opened her senses to the world around her, the screams and torment of her people as they died courageously under the Alexandrian's swords hit her full blast. If Garnet reigned, this would be the life they lead – one of unhappiness and imprisonment. Freya was filled with a toxic rage and she sharply threw Steiner's attacks away, also encouraged by the surprise Steiner betrayed in his expression from her outburst.

Freya saw Steiner's hand outstretched toward her and in a heartbeat she was knocked off her feet, engulfed in magic Firaga. She wheezed through gritted teeth, her body sizzling slightly, but she had no time to recover for the knight was upon again. Freya dodged them only just and caught him on the meat of his unprotected thigh while jumping by. He grunted and stumbled a little before regaining a clumsy stance.

Steiner was shocked that she had put up such a fight even with the devastating wounds she had received previously. He admired her courage and determination, but he knew that she would not live to see nightfall. The Captain could see she was tiring quickly, not just from the effort of the physical exertion but also from the sheer concentration that was required to defend herself. He felt awful but urged himself to continue and to minimize her suffering by pressing his attack to quicken her death, bringing his sword down harder than before and in more complex moves that sliced through the air like arrows. It took all of Freya's effort to merely keep up with Steiner. At one time when the Captain made a second pause she released a Blizaga attack. Blue tongues of ice built up around Steiner but he seemed to emerge unscathed. She was so disheartened and surprised – though she knew she shouldn't be – that she miscalculated his next attack and was disarmed.

There was an odd moment then that reminded her of an action movie. The two of them stood there looking expectantly and suspiciously at one another, then Freya threw herself at her lance, which lay on the bloodied ground a few meters in front of her. She saw out of the corner of her eye Steiner lunging at it too, and everything seemed to slow as if the battleground had suddenly been submerged in water. She saw her hand outstretched before her face and the lance just a few inches from her grip, but, as in a nightmare, she saw an armored hand curl around it's wooden arm and she cried out in disappointment.

She didn't even bother getting up.

Adelbert Steiner stood above the defeated Dragon Knight, her lance in one hand, and his sword in the other. His eyes were beacons of conflicting emotions but she knew already which way the scale would tip. She had known which way the duel would go too, but it hadn't stopped her from fighting, from defending her kingdom and defending her king and maintaining her honor. Her hope for victory that she had struggled to keep alight throughout the battle flickered and died leaving just a mound of ashes in its place. Shifting her gray eyes from the floor she looked up into Steiner's eyes. They were like lumps of flint, cold and sharp. She knew then that he had made up his mind to carry through with his word. The Dragon Knight watched him raise his sword and hoped that Frately would not witness her death. She felt such a wail of despair and acceptance clash within her that when a flash of black and white blocked her view she believed that she had died and was being swept away to another world. Finally she realized what was happening.


	4. Chapter four

_What's wrong with cliffhangers; ) lol!Just wanna say thanks to Emzie and Mog for their reviews! At least I know there's someone worth posting chapters for! There's no Mikoto in this chapter…but more killing and a taster of Ziddy's power. Oh and don't forget lots of conflicting emotions…oh how I love to make them suffer! Mwhahaha! Ahem… R&R!_

**Chapter 4**

'Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harms we do, we do to ourselves.'  
Mitch Alborn

He was truly the last person she expected to see and in her haze of death she thought it to be an apparition that her mind had created to try and peel her away from insanity. Freya just sat numbly on the floor and it took so much of energy just to notice that the impact of Steiner's sword had never come. She blinked and willed herself to look up one more time, to make sure that she definitely hadn't been hallucinating.

A man stood in front of her, blocking Steiner from sight. He wore a pair of torn black trousers and a filthy stained white shirt. His shoulder-length dirty, blonde hair was tied back loosely with a black band. In her disorientated state Freya probably wouldn't of recognized him if it hadn't of been for the sandy colored tail thrashing back and forth inches from where she sat.

'Zidane.'

Her eyes swelled with tears and the battle that raged like a storm around her blurred. He had returned! She had not seen him for years! The defeated Dragon Knight couldn't of been more grateful if the gods themselves had drifted from the heavens and aided them in battle. She couldn't begin to phantom why he would be in Burmercia, and at this time! Surely not to aid her tiny kingdom? He was Garnet's husband after all, why would he be fighting to protect the Dragon Knights? Freya was trembling slightly and on the brink of laughter that shook the tears from her eyes. She called to him in a tone inappropriate for the moment.

'Just in time as usual, eh monkey?'

She heard the strain in Zidane's voice when he replied: 'I wouldn't have it any other way.'

Steiner leapt away from the Genome with his mouth gaping open. Zidane stood protectively over Freya with a look that could move mountains. Steiner saw a mixture of anger, betrayal and sorrow swimming beneath the surface of his blue eyes that were furrowed by a deep frown. But there was something different about him; something about the way he stood, the way he held his two daggers and the way he stared at the Captain that informed him that Zidane was no longer the Genome he once fought alongside. He had changed in the past few weeks almost beyond recognition.

'Zidane…wh-what are you doing here?' the captain stuttered finally.

Zidane did not move from where he stood and seemed quite oblivious to the battle around him. The Dragon Knight's were becoming fewer in their numbers and the opposing army had advanced toward the castle again. In an attempt to slip past the archers they had brought out their own and were shooting arrows up to the castle wall trying to take them out. No one seemed to pay much attention to the reunited trio; the Alexandrian's being aware that Steiner would take care of them. If they had stopped to study the moment and seen the famous warrior Zidane, many would have undoubtedly fled the battle there and then.

'I thought it would be obvious why I'm here,' Zidane retorted, his eyes never leaving Steiners. 'I'm here to defend Burmecia.'

'B-but… surely you…I did not…'

'Why are _you_ here, Steiner?'

'I am here because the Queen ordered me to… gain control of Burmecia.'

'Why?'

There was a short pause. 'Zidane, I don't know,' he answered simply.

'Do even realize what you're doing?' the Genome shouted furiously, pointing an accusing finger at the captain. 'You were actually going to kill Freya! Have you forgotten that she fought beside us in the battle for Gaia? Have you?'

'No, of course not, it pained me to do such a thing but…I cannot go against Her Majesty's wishes. Burmecia must be claimed under Alexandrian rule and Freya must be destroyed. Only I am strong enough to this. The Queen knew that…'

Zidane saw the glimmer of sorrow in his eyes and knew then that he had opposed Garnet's decision, that was probably the reason why she had sent him personally to deal with the matter. She knew it would be a personal blow to take out one of his closest friend's kingdom. He was only human after all.

'Stop this Steiner,' Zidane growled; he took up his attacking stance. 'Stop this or I will.'

Freya couldn't believe what she was hearing. Zidane was actually opposing his wife to defend herself and Burmecia? Had he risked their relationship to save them? Now she thought about it, it wouldn't have surprised her is he had. Zidane had a heart of gold and never faltered when finding the right direction to take, even it meant a personal sacrifice to get there. Freya couldn't see what Burmecia had done to provoke such a devastating assault from Alexandria but she was sure, just as much as Zidane was, that Garnet was the root of the deaths. Perhaps the queen had gone insane after all.

Steiner's rough voice snapped her from her thoughts.

'Zidane, I do not wish to fight you. In fact, I do not wish to fight at all, but if this is what the Queen wants then I have no choice but to follow her commands.' He was glowering menacingly at the Genome.

The thief seemed unaffected. 'I'm warning you; this is your last chance. Leave Burmecia now. Go back to your queen and say you have lost. I ask no more from you. Once I start fighting there will be few left to tell the tale.' He sighed then. 'You will be the last person I fight. I want you to see your troops massacred like Freya did hers.'

This surprised Freya. That certainly wasn't something Zidane would usually say. But she was grateful for the help, even though she doubted that Zidane could fall an entire army and then face Steiner after. She voiced her thoughts but Zidane stared ahead unperturbed. Was she underestimating him? Zidane did boast a fair amount of confidence in battle but this seemed absurd to her.

Steiner looked surprised at the Genome's words also, but took up his sword anyway and faced him in confidence. 'I cannot go against my duty to the queen. I shall never surrender!'

Zidane didn't bat an eyelid but raised an arm straight into the air. Suddenly, to there left, a mass of flames engulfed a portion of the Alexandrian troops. Freya and Steiner turned their heads toward the mass of screams and saw Vivi hovering above the crowds, his arms outstretched and his gloved hands smoking from his Firaga spell.

Vivi had developed his magic to such a high power level that he could achieve things that Zidane only dreamed of doing. Zidane found that he had a great affection for the black mage and his simple ways and sometimes found himself longing for the life that Vivi lead, living amongst his brothers and sisters. The Genome wondered if he could handle the sort of power Vivi yielded, for Vivi used it sparsely, normally accompanied with a light halfhearted look that just beamed modesty. Although, this time, as Vivi floated in mid air with a deadly aura of magic crackling and snapping around him, that look had diminished and was replaced with one of complete seriousness and concentration.

If it weren't for him Freya would probably be dead. They had arrived so quickly because of Vivi's ability to open up portals and transport them to anywhere in Gaia from where they stood. His modesty in his powers astonished Zidane. When, stepping out the portal and into the rain of Burmecia, Zidane had commented lightly: 'That's a pretty neat trick.' Vivi had merely shrugged and replied: 'It gets me from A to B.'

Now he held a much more frightening demeanor that sent waves of Alexandrians fleeing in all directions for their lives; desperate not to be caught in one the infamous black mage spells, especially if it was the world famous Vivi casting it.

Steiner had been so enwrapped with the sudden explosions of magic that he didn't notice Zidane leap away into the crowds. It caught him off guard to turn back and see the face of Freya staring at him from the ground. He turned to his right and what he saw paralyzed him.

At first he couldn't quite understand what had happened. It looked as if some sort of hurricane had passed through Burmecia and for an odd second he actually thought it had. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Freya stand by his side and stare disbelievingly with him. The battlefield had suddenly fallen quite silent, all that could be heard were the moans of the wounded, the hiss of the rain and the metallic drumming it made on their armor. Behind him, he could hear the screams of his men as Vivi wiped out large portions of his army with a spell here and there. Before him, all he could see was destruction.

Zidane stood amongst the bodies. He was picking off the survivors that ran from him like a mouse from a cat in a casual manner. He leapt through the air and pounced on one of them, broke the Alexandrian's arm as he tried to defend himself, then with a sickening crack he broke his neck and in a flash had leapt to another. She held up her shield when she saw him approach but Zidane tore through it with a thrust from his dagger and penetrated her skin beneath. Blood spurted up into his face and oozed down his chin but he didn't bother to wipe it. He left the soldier to die slowly and ran faster than Steiner thought possible to his next victim who stood quivering amidst his comrades in fear. Steiner didn't even see the dagger fly through the air, and he didn't think his soldier did either because he just stood their dumbly staring at nothing with a small knife protruding from his forehead. Zidane didn't do so much as glance at him before he was onto the others, slashing and slicing away limbs, cracking and splintering bones, dancing from one to another through fountains of blood that sprayed into the air like the rain.

Freya found a bubble of fear rise to the surface of her conscious and linger there as she watched him. He had the strength, speed and agility of god. It seemed inconceivable to her that anyone could grow that powerful, but there he was raking his way through Alexandria's toughest warriors as if they were no more than low-level Mu. He flicked them all aside as they were no more than irritable bugs and showed no emotion while doing so. It chilled her even more when she realized that he hadn't even reached Trance – he wasn't even at his full potential then!

The noise behind them died down and she realized suddenly that the little black mage stood beside her. He looked quite tired, he had nearly exhausted his magic power destroying half the Alexandrian army but at that point she didn't think that it was his fatigue that was bothering him. He was staring with his glowing amber eyes at the Genome who was continuing to slay all those that lived, except the Dragon Knights. The survivors looked lonely and lost, they were solitary statues in a garden of death. Freya felt relief flood her when she spotted Frately, looking as perplexed as anyone staring with a mixture of confused gratefulness and fear at Zidane.

'Be careful.'

Freya startled. Both her and Steiner looked down at the mage who was staring at the bloodied ground.

'Be careful,' he repeated, 'Zidane… he… I don't think he can control himself.'

'He does seem tireless,' Steiner muttered, practically to himself. 'I never imagined such power.'

Vivi sniffed. 'No. That's not it. He can control his power, I don't even think he even realizes he possess it.'

Freya, who could not take her eyes off the former thief, asked: 'What do you mean then?'

'He can't control his emotions.' Then he whispered, 'He tried to kill me.'

'What?' Steiner shouted in his bellowing voice. Vivi jumped and gave him a look.

'I…well… I think it was because of Dagg – Garnet. He leapt on me when I told him about Alexandria attacking Burmecia. He kept asking me if Garnet was here.' Then he added a little hesitantly: 'Is she?'

Steiner shook his head. 'No. Of course not.'

'Good. I don't think it would be safe for her to confront Zidane right now. He's unstable. Even Mikoto has difficulty soothing his temper.'

The news that even his beloved sister could not comfort him unsettled Steiner and Freya greatly. They knew how strong their relationship was. If she could not get through to him, who could?

Freya bounded away suddenly over to the remaining Dragon Knights who were congregating outside the castle walls in a dazed state that bordered on shock. She greeted Frately with an embrace and he sent her a questioning look. 'Who is he?' he asked. The remaining warriors crowded round and she thought even the archers leaned over the high castle wall to listen.

She looked over at Zidane who now sat atop a pile of dead bodies with his head hanging as if in prayer. He gripped his daggers so tightly she could see blood trickling from between his fingers. He was trembling slightly too, and she could tell he wasn't even tired. _Vivi's right; he is unstable._

'That is Zidane,' she replied finally.

A gasp passed through the tiny crowd and they gave the Genome quick glances, both full of fear and respect.

'_The_ Zidane?' Frately squeaked, clearly astounded.

Freya nodded in reply but thought: _Though clearly not the Zidane I once knew_.

She wondered then whether Zidane would kill Steiner. A part of her wanted to kill him herself, for he too had bought her close to death's embrace; surely he deserved the same treatment? But that part of he was small. She was too compassionate and forgiving and besides, she understood now that he had wanted nothing to do with this war. It was all Garnet's fault. Perhaps that was why Zidane had decided not to kill Steiner. Or maybe it was because he was too soft at heart to kill such an old friend as he. Either way, she was grateful.

'We should thank him,' one warrior said but looked expectantly at Freya.

The survivors of Burmecia – Citizens as well as warriors – had begun to trickle out into the streets. Many climbed out of hidden trap doors, while others simply emerged from their homes or from the sanctuary of the castle. The rain had begun to wash the blood away but the air still stank of death and flesh. A chorus of wailing and sobbing filled the air, heavier and more obtrusive than the dark clouds that hung above them. Medics ran to the wounded and carried them away, a lover or relative clinging to them and crying loudly. Houses had been ransacked, windows were smashed and the doors knocked off their hinges. Carts were overturned and the fruits squashed as easily as her people on the cobbled roads. Arrows and swords protruded from walls like pointing fingers and the ground squelched sickeningly beneath their feet.

Steiner had expected a massacre but he did not expect it to be a massacre of his own people. He mourned for them, as he knew that the Burmecian's would mourn for their lost ones. He felt sorrow for the killings because he did not know the reason behind them. He could not explain or justify himself. The whole time he had clung desperately to the thought _I am performing my duty for the queen_ as desperately as a shipwrecked sailor clings to a piece of driftwood in a raging sea. But now it seemed meaningless. He felt his honor slip away from his grasp and he fell to his knees.

'Look what has happened. Look what I have done. All these killings…and for what purpose? I am no better than Kuja!'

He felt a hand touch his shoulder gently and he looked up into the oval eyes of the little mage. 'It was not your fault. You were only doing your duty, as you always have done. I respect your loyalty and I'm sure Garnet will when she returns to her normal frame of mind. Don't feel bad.'

'Normal frame of mind…' Steiner repeated the words with care, looking like he was tasting a new and exotic food. He sighed miserably. 'Ah me! Now what? Go back and receive more absurd orders from Her Majesty? I do not think I could stomach it.'

'No, no,' Freya said, coming up behind them both. 'Look at your troops. You have none. She would not attack until she has recovered them, and now she knows that Zidane, Vivi and myself fight against her, I'm sure think twice before she does anything rash.'

'I hope so,' Steiner muttered, and then looked up into the Dragon Knight's eyes. He got down on one knee and bowed deeply. 'Freya…forgive me.'

She dismissed it with a wave of your hand. 'If I were in your position I might well have done the same thing, old friend; it is the past now. Let us give thanks that we are alive and think only of the future, which I believe will be ominous.'

'I care not what you say; I am forever in your debt Freya. I have committed such a heinous wrong against you that I feel I cannot repay with just an apology.'

'You were only serving the queen,' she said a little reproachfully. 'Forget it.'

'Never!'

'She should be the one here apologizing to my kingdom and I, not you, Steiner.'

This silenced him. He looked around at the scene encircling him and wished he could stay and help, though he was not sure it would be accepted. It was best to return home.

'Where will you go?' Vivi asked, as if reading his thoughts.

'Alexandria. I must try and find the root of the queen's maddened state. Besides, I couldn't leave Beatrix alone to carry out her insane orders.' He smiled down at the mage. 'You have grown strong Master Vivi.' Vivi said nothing but stared at his shoes. If he could of blushed Steiner was sure he would have.

He gave one more glance at the Genome, then another apologetic bow to Freya, then trotted briskly from sight. He scanned the premises but Zidane had left no survivors save him.

When Steiner was out of sight Freya bounded over the corpses toward the Genome while Vivi lingered and received thanks from the townspeople. They offered him gifts of gold and an endless flow of money. The black smiths came out and weapons and armor were poured upon him. The little mage accepted their thanks but politely declined the gifts, saying he didn't need the material wealth and he was content with the life he lead. The citizens were astounded but did nothing except bow in thanks and dismiss themselves. A few lingered near Zidane, doubtful whether to approach him. They were equally afraid and appreciative of him and no one found the courage to go near. They left that job to Freya.

He had been sitting in the same position for quite some time, breathing very slowly. His head was bowed so low that his chin was resting on his chest and it reminded Freya of the time, all those years ago, when Beatrix had defeated them in Burmecia Castle. The air around him seemed to be electric and Freya felt the energy he conveyed pulse around her body. It was neither a pleasant or painful feeling so she adjusted her body to get used to it. Zidane did not look up as the Dragon Knight approached but she was sure he knew she was there.

'Zidane.' Pause. He didn't respond so she continued. 'On behalf of all of Burmecia, I'd like to thank you.' She got down on her knees and bowed low to the ground. Raising her head slightly, she continued, 'your strength has improved greatly. Vivi, Steiner and I were surprised. If I may ask, how did you acquire such power?'

When he didn't reply Freya looked up into his face, which she could see clearly now she was low to the floor. Age had been kind to him for he had certainly grown up to be handsome. His child-like roundness had dissipated; his facial bone structure was more prominent, giving a hard edge to his features. His electric blue eyes were slightly narrower than they used to be, making him look more intelligent and cunning. Because his body shape had thickened with muscle, he no longer possessed his teenage scrawniness, and he was much taller than she remembered, making him look more elegant than the roughly kept thief he used to be. This made her wonder just how much his personality had changed.

She was about to press him further when he blinked and looked up. 'Did I really do all this?'

Freya wasn't sure if he was addressing her or himself but she answered anyway. 'Yes, Zidane, you did. Is it so surprising to you?'

He looked at her and she saw the fire behind his eyes, the passion that had kept him fighting. She was positive then, looking at the seemingly indestructible warrior above her, that he had only one motive that kept him killing: Garnet.

'I suppose it shouldn't surprise me really,' he replied slowly, studying his surroundings. 'Did Steiner go back to Alexandria?'

Freya nodded.

'Shall I help clear up?'

'No, no! Burmecia is forever in your debt, Zidane. We cannot ask more of you!'

'You're not asking more of me. Anyway, it was my decision to help you, I wasn't going to sit back knowing that you could be dead. Burmecia owes me nothing.'

'Burmecia owes you everything! If it wasn't for you we-'

'Where's Vivi?' he interrupted.

'I'm here!' a voice squeaked.

Zidane and Freya turned and saw the little mage being fussed over by a number of people. He desperately fought through the crowd that bowed to him incessantly and sung him praises.

The crowd fell into a hush and toppled over like dominos into deep bows as Zidane strolled over to them; viewing him as their savior once again. The Genome only glanced at them indifferently then offered Vivi an all-consuming, Zidane-style grin.

'Shall we go, or do you want to stay longer?' he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

'Oh…um… I'd like to stay and help out a little longer, if that's okay…'

'Course it is! Do you mind dropping me off back to the Mage Village first? I'm starving.' The grin widened and Freya felt strangely heartened.

'S-sure.'

Zidane turned to Freya. 'I'm glad I could help. If they attack again don't hesitate to contact me, okay?' Then as an after thought, 'and send my regards to Sir Frately! See you later.'

He had disappeared through a portal a few seconds later and as it vanished with a crackle all Freya could say was, 'Take care of yourself Zidane.'

_Next chapter a surprise character is added in an unusual form and the severity of Garnet's condition is explained….I'll update soon!_


	5. Chapter five

_Personally, I rather like this chapter :beams:...I think I'm updating too quickly...'cause surprisingly enough...:looks back on work:...There's only about seven more chapters and then it's finished:gasp: Anyways, ya know the drill y'all! R&R and hey, why you're at it, why not check out some of my other work? You know ya want to...:flutters eyelashes:_

**Chapter 5**

'He who had a thousand friends  
Has not a friend to spare,  
While he who had one enemy  
Shall meet him everywhere.' William Blake

'I will not condemn for what you did yesterday, if you do it right today.' Sheldon S. Maye

Garnet paced her bedroom with a mixture of impatience and frustration. She had heard a rumor that disturbed her greatly and she had ordered confirmation of this rumor nearly an hour ago. No one had full-filled her request and she was growing angry. She stormed over to the window and threw them open so hard the glass nearly shattered. The queen scowled down with contempt at her bustling kingdom. The mood was slightly different today however. The citizens were loitering around the square, no doubt eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones, friends and relatives from Burmecia.

All of a sudden Garnet felt the room press onto her, as if gravity had increased and everything had become very heavy. She felt lonely. Everyone was waiting for someone they cared about to return but here she was trapped in her castle waiting for no one but herself. She sat down on the floor and held her bare arms and tried to dispel the feeling. As hard as she tried images and sounds came into her head, all relating back to _him_. A flash of a cheeky grin, astute eyes that held an adventurous spark, sandy blonde hair and a touch that couldn't be matched. Her eyes were hot at the corners as she thought of him.

'Zi…dane…wh-where are you?'

But before she could firmly grip her sanity, the voices came again like a viper uncurling from beneath a rock to spit its deadly poison.

_Darling. Have you heard anything from Burmecia?_

She tried so hard to resist speaking back to them but their voices were sweet and melodious, whispering soothingly in the back of her mind. 'N-no. It's probably just a rumor. I-I'm sure the troops are fine,' she replied quickly. She thought she heard them sigh.

_You weren't thinking of him again were you, love?_

'N-no. Never.'

_You can't lie to us. We are one; we hear your thoughts, we feel your emotions. Forget him. You only need us. You always have. We have been with you much longer than he. You are in our debt for all the times we have aided you._

'W-why me?'

_Silly girl,_ they snapped, but continued more gently, _we thought you would know; you are the strongest summoner on Gaia. Besides, you know us and we know you_. They laughed making icy fingers crawl down Garnet's spine. _No need for awkward acquaintances then, eh?_

Already her mind was slipping. All the questions she had wanted to ask just fell away from her and she sunk into their dark embrace again, hypnotized by their cooing voices that sung a sinister lullaby only she could hear.

_Let us go over the plan, sweet one. Do you remember it? Do you remember what you have to do?_ Their voices were like tinkling bells.

'D-destroy all of the strongest warriors on Gaia.'

A_nd who are they?_

'Vivi Orunitia, Adelbert Steiner, Freya Crescent, Eiko Carol, Amarant Coral and… Zidane Tribal.'

_Excellent! Once they're out the way nothing can prevent us from attaining out goal. The tables shall turn for the humans, and we shall enslave them as they enslaved us. And you, love, will rule as queen, never to feel the emotions you wish to be rid of again. _

'Yes, my Eidolons; I will do whatever you please.'

Garnet sat down on her bed and waited for the news to arrive. A flash of white caught her eye and she looked out the window to see what it was. To her surprise she saw a beautiful owl staring at her. It was the most magnificent bird she had ever set eyes on so she sat motionless as not to scare it. It was whiter than cotton and had two particularly long feathers sticking up from its forehead, adding to its virgin beauty and elegance. Its large, intelligent eyes studied her before it flapped its wings and flew away in a graceful cloud of feathers. Garnet only had a moment to wonder what an owl was doing out in the daytime when there was a knock at the door. She leapt to her feet.

'Come in and be quick about it!' she barked, leaning forward and resting her hands on her hips. 'I've already wasted a lot of my time waiting for a reply to that rumor.'

Steiner stepped in gingerly and saluted, avoiding eye contact. He could see the shock register on her face and waited for the torments he would receive.

She said, 'Why are you back so early? You were meant to station yourselves in Burmecia until I gave command for you to leave! Why didn't I hear the troops return? Answer quickly!'

'They're all dead,' he replied bluntly.

Garnet stood there for a moment to let this information sink in.

'D-dead…? All of them…?'

Steiner nodded, staring at the wall behind her.

'H-how could you let this happen…you idiot! Do you realize what you've done?' She took a step forward and struck him round the face. Steiner was surprised by this but didn't try to defend himself – he would not lay a finger on his queen no matter what she did – or show any emotion on his face. Instead, he returned calmly, 'I am very sorry, Your Majesty, but it was impossible to defeat them…by the end.'

'What do you mean by the end?' she snapped back, annoyed that he hadn't reacted to her slap. 'Was it Freya?'

'No,' he said, and then looked to into her eyes; dark eyes that were clouded with insanity. 'Zidane was there.'

She nearly dropped to her knees at just hearing his name.

'And Master Vivi,' he added. 'There was no way I could of fought Zidane, Master Vivi and Freya and lived.' Steiner waited for her reaction, but getting none he said carefully, 'Zidane completely demolished our troops. The Dragon Knights killed one-hundred at the most, Vivi destroyed about another hundred and Zidane…' He trailed off.

Garnet's eyes went wide with shock. 'But we sent one thousand troops out there! Are you seriously telling me that _the thief_ killed eight hundred highly skilled soldiers by himself? It's possible!'

'I would not of thought it possible if I had not witnessed it with my own eyes.'

'Why are you alive then?'

A contemplative pause. '...I don't know, My Lady.'

Garnet's mind was racing. Could he have become that strong? If so, how would she destroy him? What was worse, it seemed that he had joined forces with the others. If he were there every time she tried to kill them, she wouldn't be able to lay a finger on them! What if Steiner had made a pact with Zidane and was spying on her? It seemed that her armies were ineffective.

_You must try another method of destroying them. _

Damn him! She thought she had destroyed him when she broke his heart.

_Find his weakness, love…_

'His weakness?'

'Pardon, Your Majesty?'

Garnet jumped. 'I-I said, does Zidane have any weaknesses?'

_She truly has gone insane_, Steiner thought, but said, 'It certainly didn't seem like it. Not on the battlefield anyway. He seemed invincible.'

'Don't be a fool. Only Eidolons are invincible.'

Steiner inclined his head. 'Eidolons? What do the Eidolons have to do with anything?'

She stumbled over her words but managed to shout at him nonetheless. 'How dare you address me in that manner! Get out of my room now and prepare the funeral services! I don't want to see you at all for the rest of the day!'

Steiner bowed then saluted. 'Yes My Lady.'

As he exited her chamber his voice still echoed round in her head.

_Not on the battlefield anyway…_

Garnet sat down with a sly smile adorning her features.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'You came back quicker than I had thought.'

Zidane was sitting on the bridge, his favorite place in the Black Mage Village. He had only arrived a few minutes beforehand but already Mikoto had found him. Not that he minded. He knew that if he asked to be left alone she would do so.

'Vivi wanted to stay to help out longer,' he told her before she could ask.

She sat down beside her brother and they listened to the stream's song. A fish leapt and broke the silence. Leaves drifted like unmanned vessels beneath the bridge and out the other side. Zidane wished he could be in one of them, drifting peacefully without knowing or caring where he ended up. He looked across to Mikoto and was surprised to find a young, female Genome sitting on her lap and staring distractedly at the stream. She looked at him in the Genome fashion - a usual blank stare - then looked away again.

'Say hello, Kali; don't be rude to your older brother,' Mikoto scolded and tapped her lightly on the back of her head.

The little girl didn't look at him but greeted him with a quiet hello. Zidane smiled at his little sisters.

'You know,' he said, 'if you come here at a certain time during the night, they say you can see water spirits dancing on the surface. You have to look real careful though and be real quiet 'cause the slightest noise startles them away.'

Kali seemed to consider this for a moment, her gray eyes flickering dully.

'That is… not true. There is no such things as water spirits.'

'How do you know? Have you ever seen one?'

Kali said nothing but just gazed into the stream. Finally she asked, 'When do they come out?'

'Hmm…early evening I think; just as the sun goes down. They like it then because they blend in with the shadows.'

'They are fire-flies,' Kali said.

Zidane laughed and his eyes creased in the corners. He was about to say something but Mikoto interrupted him.

'Was Steiner there?'

She was staring with a somber expression into the stream, her arms wrapped around Kali protectively. He realized how much she must care for them and thought of the comment he had made earlier – seeming like a decade ago now – _You're like a kind of mother to them. _

'Yes he was there,' he replied finally. 'Still alive and well, even after I left.'

He thought he heard Mikoto sigh with relief.

'I remember Steiner,' Kali said in her monotone voice. 'He was dressed in clothes that were meant to be shiny but they were going rusty.'

Zidane laughed again. 'Wow, you have a good memory! You must've been really young back then.'

After landing on Gaia, Zidane noticed that the Genome's were ageing. But it was a strange sort of ageing, quite unlike the way that Zidane and Mikoto had aged. The others grew bigger and their features became less childish but it came to a point where they simply grew no more. When Zidane had asked Mikoto why this was, she explained that because Garland had intended to use their bodies as vessels, he did not want the souls to be received into bodies that were old and weak. What would be the point? So every Genome was created with the body of a five year old, which slowly developed into an adult's body. Number wise, they aged like everyone else over the years but even when they turned seventy they still possessed the body of a twenty year old. Herself and Zidane were exceptions because they were given souls.

'I am twelve years old,' Kali told her older brother indifferently. Zidane nodded and replied, 'I'm twenty-six! Does that seem old to you?'

'Age is irrelevant to us.'

Zidane shrugged. 'Fair enough.'

The stream chattered to itself pleasantly and didn't interfere with their conversations. Water boatman skimmed the surface and the fish came up to investigate. The evening twilight was enclosing around them. People were going to their homes. They greeted Zidane and Mikoto respectfully, a young Black Mage waved playfully at Kali who just stared through him – as was the way of the Genomes. Zidane admired their patience with such a faceless race of people.

'Lady Mikoto, you are hurting me,' Kali said suddenly.

Her brother turned his head in surprise and found Kali trying to squirm from her older sister's grasp.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I-I… didn't realize I was holding you so tightly. S-sorry.' She let her go and Kali stood up, frowning moodily as young children do. 'G-go on; you better get ready for the evening meal.'

The Genomes didn't need to eat but some would occasionally take a mouthful here and there out of curiosity. They attended the evening meal anyway, which was held in a large hall with the Black Mages, who were excellent cooks but hardly ate anything at all. It surprised Zidane how much the two races had in common and was pleased that the mages were gradually awakening the Genome's ideas, opinions and feelings about themselves and the environment in which they lived.

He looked over at his sister with a worried expression. She was kneeling in front of him and staring at the wooden boards. Zidane had always thought her to be quite pretty. When he had first met her he hadn't thought she was anything special. She had very plain features, with light blonde hair, an oval face and small colorless eyes. When she had broken free of her adolescent cocoon, instead of blossoming into a butterfly like he had expected, she broke free as a moth: neither ugly nor beautiful. She stood out from her brothers and sisters though, her eyes were wider apart and she full lips the color of cherries, and well defined cheek bones that made her look almost cat like.

'Zidane,' she said suddenly. 'I… must tell you something.'

'Mm? What?'

'I…I cannot say myself…especially not here. You must come with me and then everything will be explained.'

Zidane heaved himself up. The battle with the Alexandrian's seemed ages away now and he had forgotten his hunger long ago. He helped her up but she avoided eye contact with him.

'Have I done something wrong?' he asked lightly.

She shook her head and started walking across the bridge. 'No, not at all; but I think you will be angry with me.'

'I could never be angry with you!' Zidane laughed.

Mikoto said nothing.

She led him out into the dense forest surrounding the village. The evening coolness was creeping up on them and Zidane shivered and began rubbing his arms to get warm. The leaves shushed and whispered as the Genomes passed beneath them and the branches swayed and sighed in a hypnotic fashion. Twilight had induced shadows out of their daytime hiding places and fluttered in front of trees in an eerie, silent dance that sent Zidane's eyes darting for danger. An early rising fox crossed their path and a hare darted away in surprise. The wood smelt strongly of the damp undergrowth and the owls filled the air with a ghostly chorus.

Finally, the siblings reached a huge oak tree that dominated a clearing in the woodland. Its trunk was thickly wrinkled and its branches were twisted old fingers pointing in every direction. In its trunk, a deep notch yawned at them. The whole tree had been gnawed at by the weather but looked sturdy and powerful, it's roots had lifted above the ground as if it had tried to walk away and it wore a thick crown of leaves on its head. It reminded Zidane of the Iifa Tree – but much smaller.

Mikoto stopped before the trunk and stared up at its thick body. She called, 'I have brought him with me. You may see him, if you wish it.'

Zidane took a few steps closer and peered up into the intertwined branches above, expecting someone to drop down and greet him. Instead, the shadows within the deep notch stirred and a shape began to form. When it finally emerged Zidane did no more than raise an eyebrow while Mikoto bowed slightly beside him.

An owl sat just outside the notch. It was the most beautiful owl Zidane had ever seen and the fresh moonlight empathized its white feathers, giving it a ghostly appearance. Its large eyes stared down at Zidane and their color reminded him of an April sky in the morning, clear and crisp and a startling blue. The owl hopped onto a branch and sat their quite straight, radiating a sense of elegance and purity.

'This is what you took me to see?' Zidane questioned, tearing his eyes away from the beautiful bird to look at his sister. She kept her eyes to the floor and said nothing.

'Zidane.'

The voice made him jump out of skin because not only did he realize immediately where it came from but who's voice it was.

'It's good to see you again, brother. I almost didn't recognize you, you've grown so much!'

The Genome stared disbelievingly up at the owl that bobbed its head and seemed to almost smile.

_I-it can't be…no… it isn't…it's impossible!_

'K-Kuja?'

The owl fluttered its wings in an appreciative manner and let out a thread of laughter. 'I'm so glad you recognized me!' he exclaimed, then added lightly, 'my voice anyway.'

Zidane took a step back and stumbled over an uplifted root. For a moment he just sat there stunned, unable to take his eyes away from the owl.

'Have you nothing to say to me? After ten years all you can do is gawp? My my brother, I'm surprised; you always had something to say in a difficult situation.'

'Y-you…you're a-alive?' the Genome managed to force out. 'W-when…? How…? I-I was there when you died!' His rage burst into motion like a firework and he turned to Mikoto, jumping to his feet. 'How long have you been keeping this from me?' he shouted. His voice echoed harshly around them and a shower of leaves fluttered to the ground as a bird took flight in fear.

Mikoto kept her head bowed and didn't reply. This infuriated him more. He grabbed his little sister by the arms and shook her roughly.

'Answer me dammit!' he cried. 'How long have you been keeping this from me? Is it a difficult question? Do I need to spell it out for you? I trusted you! Why I should -'

'Leave her alone,' the owl said coolly, 'I asked her not tell you, for I feared your reaction. Put your sister down, brother.'

Zidane whirled on him, pushing Mikoto away, his eyes flashing in rage. 'I am not your brother! I never was and I never will be!'

The owl sighed. 'Argumentative as usual? Silly boy. I thought you had grown into a man but I see you still hold your childish temper.'

Zidane cried out and tried to leap up to the bird but he felt a weight around his chest and found himself being dragged back down the trunk.

'Let go of me, Mikoto!' he screamed and lashed out at her. She ducked her head and he missed.

He struggled with her a little but when she refused to let go he stopped trying to climb the tree and stood stiffly in her grip, shaking terribly.

The female Genome whispered to him, her voice quivering with the effort of trying to restrain her brother, 'Please listen to him, Zidane. I know you're angry but…he's only trying to help you. Just hear him out at least…'

'Why should I?' he snarled.

'Because he knows what's wrong with Garnet.'

The whole world came crashing down around him. Fragments of memories flashed before his eyes, images of Kuja, and his wife, Terra, Gaia. They were twisted and muddled, hidden within the mist of time. But some poked their way through and he felt once again his terrible loss, his longing to hold his wife again, and his affection toward his friends and somewhere amidst the confusion, the respect he had for Kuja. He remembered as clearly as if he were reliving it, the day he had fought his way back into the Iifa Tree to save him, even after all he had done. He felt the prick of sadness that had touched him when his brother had died in his arms, sorry for what he had afflicted on the world. The look in his eyes had moved Zidane and he was looking right into those very eyes again.

'A-are you… still…sorry?' he said thickly. He was about to explain himself but the owl seemed to of read his thoughts.

'That is why I am here. I never got a chance to make up for the things I did, I'm not sure if I ever can. But…the gods gave me one more chance to redeem myself. I took form as an owl when I returned, the symbol of the gods, of forgiveness. I waited silently in the shadows for years, eagerly waiting the day I would be able to restore what I had destroyed. That day is today.

'I will make up for all the pain I caused you by delivering you from the thing that causes you the most grief now. I will make up for the suffering and destruction I inflicted on the world by preventing the next war. Only then, my dear brother, can I rest in peace. So the answer to your question is clear; I am still sorry. Now here is my question to you, Zidane. Do you still forgive me, as you did when I lay on the verge of death inside the bowels of the Iifa Tree?'

_It's true. It is Kuja. He's back from the dead. Can I trust him?_ A picture of Garnet flashed through his mind_. I'll have to. Besides, that doesn't change anything, after all_ _that day in the Iifa Tree…changed my life. Kuja…_

'Yes… I still forgive you.' Then he added as an after thought. 'I'm sorry Mikoto.'

She did not look at him but shook her head in a dismissive gesture.

The owl ruffled its feathers and Zidane could picture Kuja's sly smirk when he asked rather proudly, 'Well then, what would you like to know first?'

_Horray for owl-Kuja! I really wanted to in-coperate some sort of magical being into it and I've always thought that if Kuja were an animal he'd either be a white cat or an owl, because a cat looks cunning and an owl in beautiful and graceful... :hugs Mikoto for no reason:...so erm...tell me what ya think of Kuja! Review peeps!_


	6. Chapter six

_Although I'm so flattered and pleased that people have reviewed, did you have to give the game away with mentioning the owl kuja thing:laughs: Nevermind, I'll forgive you as long as you review this chapter as well…without giving anything away! Oh! Lookie here! More characters are introduced hurrah!_

**Chapter six**

It was the cry of a bird that had saved her life.

The shrill shriek had caused her to stir from the desk where her studies were thrown across in a disorderly manner, and slip to the open window to take a look outside. The view had stunned her, as it always did. The towering turrets of Lindblum wore a necklace of spacecrafts that droned and hummed like insects about the city. People went busily about their business below, caught in a contrasting display of gentle shadow and golden-red light as the sun set on another day. She saw the bird, which soared gracefully among the throng, calling sorrowfully into the evening sky.

The young girl took in all this in a few seconds and would of observed it longer if the unfamiliar hiss drew her away from the window in surprise. There was a flash in the corner of her eye as the sun caught hold of its shiny surface. She turned and stood still for a moment taking in the hilt of the dagger protruding from the wall beside her desk, encrusted with jewels.

If the bird had not cried, she would be dead.

Realization grasped her with hard fingers and she dropped to the floor, just as another hiss rung above her head. She cried out in horror and rolled to the side of the bed hoping for protection. Cautiously peering out toward the door a flash of black caught her eye and then he was upon her, clawing and swiping at her throat with a dagger. She lay on the ground with him on top of her, holding back his hand with all her might as the weapon blinked inches from her neck.

He was covered in black material from head to toe, a slit open at the face where his eyes pierced the girl with a single-minded gaze that gave her nightmares for weeks after. She squeezed her legs free and kicked him as hard as she could then crawled away from him. Clambering up, the terrified girl ran for the door and twisted the handle. It was locked. She screamed for the guards.

She didn't hear them come for her attacker had recovered and had come up behind her. He made an attempt to stab her but she pulled away and he barely missed, catching her flowing robe instead, pinning it to the door. The girl cried out in alarm as she bounced back then struggled to tear herself free of the dagger's bite. He grabbed her pale arm roughly and flung her against the door, raising the dagger for another attempt. As it came down with a frightening whistle she ducked and it became lodged in the wooden door. The intruder cried out in anger and she guessed that was his last one because he tried desperately to free it, still gripping her arm and pushing her against the door. She screamed again and punched him in the face, hearing the satisfying sound of bones breaking.

His head snapped back but his grip on her did not falter. He wedged his weapon free and looked at her with eyes burning with rage. He took her by the throat this time and she felt the air being sucked out of her. Tears leaked from her eyes as she the dagger flashed down once more.

With an unexpected and seemingly distant crash the window to her left shattered and sprayed the struggling couple a shower of glass. Her attacker seemed just as surprised as she and the lunging dagger ceased its descent. The girl was overcome with confusion when the black-clad man was thrown off her, hitting the other side of the room with a dull clunk. Another man loomed over him, but her eyes were so blurred with tears she could not make out his face. The two men began to fight ruthlessly and she listened to the assassin's screams while she stripped herself of the robe she wore to be free of the dagger's blade. She was faintly aware of a presence behind her and felt the desperate breath of the attacker against her neck.

Suddenly the door behind her fell open with a crack and three or more guards came tumbling in. She fell atop the assassin and felt an odd pressure against her side. The soldiers pulled her off of him and she found herself being pushed out into the hallway in a great hurry.

The corridors seemed to spin past and she tried to cry out with a mixture of confusion and anger but found her mouth dry and her throat cracked and sore. An intense throbbing had begun on her right side, and then without warning it erupted in to indomitable pain and exploded her senses. She screamed and dropped to the floor, only to be scooped into someone's arms and rushed away to another room where she passed into darkness.

XX

'Darling, darling! Oh! I think she's waking up! Don't stand their gibbering like an idiot; get the doctor! Sweetie, can you hear me? Please wake up… Oh! Yes! She is, darling, she's waking!'

The young girl's eyelids seemed to be made of lead but she pried them open eventually, waiting while the room blurred in and out of focus. A distorted figure spun above her but she recognized the outline to be her mother. Then just as two other figures joined her, she began to see clearly again.

'Ah, you are awake,' an unfamiliar man said to her. He had a bristling moustache and melancholy eyes that held only the slightest enthusiasm for what he did. 'You made a reasonably quick recovery; I thought you wouldn't wake for hours. Considering the shock you went through and the wound you received; you should be thankful.'

'Oh, My little Eiko, I was so…so…' Eiko's mother broke down into fitful sobs and her father, who loomed over them all, patted her on the back and smiled lovingly down and his little girl.

'How many fingers am I holding up?' the doctor asked, waving three crooked fingers in her face.

'Three,' she replied. Then she asked, while the doctor shone lights in her eyes, 'what happened? I hardly remember. I know I was attacked by someone… but it all happened so quickly…'

'Do not worry yourself over that man; he has been taken to the dungeons to be questioned.'

_Tortured for information you mean_, she thought, but said, 'Oh. I think I recall another man being in the room with me – before the guards came crashing in. He saved my life. Where is he?'

Before her father could reply the doctor prodded her side. She cried out in agony as stars burst brightly before her eyes. She felt her consciousness slipping away but she struggled against it and fought her way back to concentrating on the situation. Turning on the doctor she screamed, 'What in the eidolon's names do you think you're doing?'

'Now, now, Eiko, dear,' her mother cooed softly, patting her hand. 'Doctor Turnell is only doing his job. You were badly hurt.'

Eiko twisted herself to look at her throbbing waist and saw fresh bandages covering some sort of wound. She recalled distantly the odd, biting pressure against her side as she had fallen atop the attacker.

_I fell on his dagger. That's just my luck_, she thought miserably and lay back down again as pain clouded her vision.

'Give her this medicine three times a day,' she heard the obnoxious doctor instruct her father. 'It will help heal the wound and fight infection. Make sure the cut is washed and the bandages are changed daily. She must rest to ensure a fast recovery, and feed her plenty of healthy food and make sure she drinks plenty of water.'

'Yes Doctor Turnell, of course.'

'We cannot thank you enough for helping our only child, please you only need to ask and we can give you whatever-'

The doctor raised his hand. 'What you have given me is plenty. I could not possibly ask for more. As long as Lady Eiko makes a decent recovery then that is all the payment I need.'

Her mother sighed with gratitude and her father bowed swiftly and led him from the room.

'Mother,' Eiko said quietly when they were alone, 'did someone try to assassinate me?'

Hilda fluttered her hands in a motherly manner and sat nervously on the edge of Eiko's bed. 'Oh I hardly know, dear. If he did I could not possibly phantom why; you are such a well behaved child!'

Eiko thought this was a rather naïve thing to say but she smiled nonetheless. Her father re-entered but she guessed he knew as little as she, so Eiko pressed her earlier question. 'Who was the man that assisted me? I couldn't make his face out in the confusion. I'd like to thank him'

Regent Cid looked distant then scurried from the room bellowing orders to 'retrieve his daughter's savior', which was followed shortly by an oddly familiar _plod-plod-plod_ of heavy footfalls from outside. Eiko suddenly became quite unnerved. She didn't know exactly who her 'savior' was but she wanted to emit a certain flow of authority, so he saw her as something other than the cowering creature from earlier. She shuffled into an awkward sitting position beneath her bed covers and tried her best to straighten her back. This lead to electrical out bursts of pain weaving up her side and back, so she slouched a little but held her chin high.

Regardless, she lost all sense of nobility when she saw who entered; she could hardly believe her eyes!

'A-A-Amarant? Y-you…s-saved me?'

The red head had not changed since she had seen him ten years ago. He still towered above the rest of them, having to duck his head as he entered the room. His head was still thickly crowned with a mop of untidy hair, his skin was still as white as milk and he still wore a sour expression that had almost become his trademark. His long, muscular arms dangled down to his torn gray pants and his dark blue shirt hung loosely off his bulging torso.

He scratched his head in response.

'A-ah…I… I hardly know what to say! I-it's been so long!'

'Thank you would be nice start,' he said in his deep, rumbling voice.

'Oh! Of course. I'm sorry. Thank you. If it wasn't for your help I'm sure my attacker would of overpowered me and I would be dead.'

This made Hilda tremble and go quite faint. Cid held her steady while Amarant looked down at the couple with amusement twinkling in his dark eyes. He turned back to Eiko and shrugged.

'W-why are you here?'

'I heard a rumor,' he hesitated and his eyes flicked toward Hilda and Cid.

Eiko cleared her throat. 'Mother, father, please would you be kind enough to leave the room for a moment?'

Regent Cid opened his mouth with a frown and seemed like he was going to object, but his wife caught him by the elbow and led him out the door with nothing but an anxious glance toward her adopted daughter and the menacing man beside her.

Now they were alone in Eiko's splendid chamber Amarant continued.

'No more than a few days ago I was in Alexandria, I'd decided to go traveling again, to see how much the world has changed in ten years. You'll have to believe me when I say there is a lot of tension there at the moment. I wasn't exactly ecstatic about lingering around for long and I was just on the outskirts of the town when – of all people – I walked right into Captain Adelbert Steiner himself. He was doing his rounds or something – I'm not sure, but anyway, he seemed just as tense as the entire Kingdom put together. To put a long story short, he told me to leave for Black mage Village to meet Zidane.'

'Zidane?' Eiko couldn't keep the shock out of her voice. No one had heard from Zidane for years. 'What's Zidane got to do with this?'

'I'm not sure; I don't think that Steiner really knew himself. But either way, after what he told me, I'm more than curious to find out what's going on.'

Eiko sat there thoughtfully for a moment. 'You said Alexandria is tense; why?'

'You have not heard?' He sounded surprised.

'No.'

'It's Queen Garnet… she's lost the plot apparently. She sent Steiner on some bizarre mission to take over Burmecia and to personally destroy Freya.'

Eiko was shocked. 'I thought Burmecia was an ally of Alexandria's? Whatever would she want to take it over for? And Freya? Why would she personally want Steiner to destroy her?'

'Even Steiner doesn't know. But it's the fact that she has sent mercenaries out to hunt Freya down that worried him. That is why he wanted everyone who Garnet might see as a threat to congregate in the Black Mage Village to discuss what's goin' on.'

'So Steiner didn't kill Freya… I'm not surprised. And what about Burmecia?'

Amarant shook his head. 'They couldn't capture it.'

You're kidding!' Eiko exclaimed, 'an army like Alexandria's should of demolished Burmecias! How is that possible?'

'Zidane was there.'

'Zidane?'

'According to Steiner he's acquired god-like powers. He took out three-quarters of the army by himself.'

Eiko gasped. 'But he's married to the woman that runs the army!'

'Not anymore; she ended it suddenly one day when he returned from a mission, claiming she was in love with another. Of course, Zidane went straight to Mikoto and has been living with her since – a broken man it seems. Garnet murdered her so called 'new love' moments after Zidane left – or so that's what they claim happened.'

Eiko's head was spinning with all the information, racing to keep up with the pace. Such a normal day had fallen into such a twist of dark and unexplained events. She marveled at how drastically life can change over a few moments, as it usually did for her. _Yet still…_

'What does all this have to do with me?' Then as quickly as she had asked the question, the answer popped into her head: 'The assassin! No… She didn't? W-we are friends! Would she…would she have me put to death so ruthlessly?'

Amarant didn't seem to care about their friendship. He just shrugged carelessly and said, 'All I know is that she obviously still sees you as risk, and in her eyes, all risks need to be exterminated.'

'How am I risk to anyone? And to what scheme am I a risk to?'

'You're probably a risk to her because you are a summoner. Why that would risk her plan…I don't know. That is why we're going to the Black Mage Village to meet the others.' He sighed in annoyance, 'Y'know how much I hate all that team work crap but… I think this is big and as much as I hate to admit it, I think we're gonna have to be together again on this.'

Butterflies had broken free of their cocoons and were fluttering around Eiko's stomach. She felt queasy with excitement and nervousness. She had not been involved in anything of this sort since the war and now the opportunity had aroused itself she realized how much she longed to be free in the spacious, wild countryside, to be independent again, to have an adventure, like when she lived with the moogles at Madain Sari. Her eyes shone in anticipation and she nearly leapt out of bed.

'When are we going?' she asked.

Amarant laughed sardonically and shook his great mass of red hair. 'I'm not traveling with you, girl! I'm leaving now!'

Eiko was deeply hurt and alarmed by this. 'Now? B-but why did you come here in the first place then? Why not just go straight to the village?'

'Because,' he sighed, 'I knew that over-protective father of yours would never of told you any of this; you've got a right to know because your life is in danger. He thinks he can protect you, and I'm sure he can to a certain extent, but… I'm sure you're aware what would of happened if I weren't there today.'

'Then surely I'd be safer traveling with you!' Eiko argued. 'We can take Hilda Garde! If father came with me he'd make such a commotion and I've got no doubt that he would attract more attention than needed. Please wait just a while, then we can go together.'

XXXXXXXXXXXX

'Well then, what would you like to know first?'

Most people would of found this peculiar experience awkward and a somewhat difficult situation to adjust to. But Zidane wasn't 'most people', and although he found a thick layer of new emotion bubbling like an inferno at his surface, he knew his priority was saving the woman he loved. He only hoped that there was something worth saving. Perhaps there wasn't anything wrong with her and she had just stopped loving him? He would make a fool out of himself if he marched up to her trying to rid her of some madness that didn't exist.

But he knew that Garnet was a magnanimous woman who would not recklessly attack an ally and sentence an old friend like Freya to death. Plus, his love for her was profound and he didn't doubt the passionate affection she returned. He wanted her back badly and would walk on water to get it, even if it meant relying on his reincarnated brother to do so.

After a moment of thought, Zidane said, 'Is my wife insane as they say?'

'No.'

Zidane's heart sank and splintered.

'She is being manipulated,' Kuja continued.

'So she isn't insane?' Zidane cried, his transient grief withering away in the light of hope.

'Not yet, but by the way they seem to be driving her I would not be surprised if she does go insane.'

'What is wrong with her? Who is manipulating her? What do they want with my wife? How did she become-'

'One question at a time, brother,' Kuja remarked coolly.

Zidane looked at the ground and stroked the dark stubble on his chin. 'Alright, who is manipulating her?'

'The Eidolons.'

Zidane jumped back. 'What? The Eidolons? I thought they had vanished!'

Kuja laughed sardonically. 'Don't be foolish! Whatever made you think that? Just because they are masterless doesn't mean they just disappear!'

Zidane ground his teeth, infuriated by the mocking laughter of his brother. 'Garnet no longer has her pendant, how are they bound to her?'

'Because of you.'

'Me? I had nothing to do-'

'You had _everything_ to do with it, my brother.' The owl paused a moment before continuing.

Zidane heard Mikoto shuffle beside them. She was kneeling in a sea of weather-torn roots, her hands on her knees. She was staring with a blank expression down at the soil and was very still and quiet.

Even though she had kept this secret from him, Zidane still found his words earlier to be true; he couldn't be angry with her. No matter the circumstance she was still his sister and would always hold a place in his heart, rivaled only by the love he felt for Garnet.

'Didn't you ever wonder,' the beautiful owl continued, his voice crisp and clear, 'how your wife felt when you left her?'

Zidane scratched his head. 'Left her?'

'All those time before, when you went on those assignments of yours?'

'I dunno. She never seemed to mind too much; she never said anything. Yeah, she seemed a little down but she seemed to cope alright without me.'

'That's where you're wrong, brother. Every time you left her another part of her fell away. A streak of sorrow formed within her heart and singed her soul. She began to doubt your love for her, and every time she did, that sorrow grew larger and larger until it evolved into hatred and loneliness. She wanted you back but didn't want to confine you to the palace, that's why she let you leave again and again without every muttering a word.'

Zidane sat down; his own legs couldn't support the heavy load in his chest anymore. 'I-I never knew… gods I'm such an idiot!'

'Her black feelings towards you made her very easy to access and manipulate; the perfect opportune for the Eidolons to make their move on her.'

'B-but why…why are they doing this to her?'

'The Eidolons are practically slaves to the summoners; without them they are nothing, for if they cannot be summoned what use are they to anyone? Of course, there are only two summoners left on Gaia now: your wife and Lady Eiko Carol of Lindblum. At the time of the last war Eiko was too young to carry such powerful Eidolons independently so they put all their powers and reliance onto Garnet. So you can imagine the bitterness and betrayal they felt when their sole summoner chose you over them.'

Zidane remembered the day he returned to Alexandria a year after Mikoto had pulled him out of the Iifa Tree half dead. He had gone back to Tantalus and preformed the play 'I want to be your canary' to her, ripping his disguise off at the last moment. Garnet had come running down from her balcony to see him, but on the way her pendant – the link between her and the Eidolons – had been ripped from her neck. She had faced the dilemma of picking it up and continuing with her old ways that she had clung to and relied on so feverantly, or to start a new, stronger life with him at her side. Needless to say which one she had chosen.

At the time, and years after, Zidane had hardly thought about it, let alone the consequences of her abandoning her Eidolons. Now he understood how furious and neglected they must of felt. Similar to the way his wife must have felt whenever he left her.

'They feel used and probably quite lost. They're thirsty for revenge on both you and Garnet and not only that, their bitterness has grown so much they're willing to take out their anger on Gaia by enslaving the planet and it's people.'

'H-how…?'

'Garnet is merely a puppet. I'm guessing that when they have reached an efficient power level they will command your wife to summon them, where they will take over this planet and destroy not only their summoner, but all of Gaia as well.'

Zidane shook his head in disbelief. 'Why is Garnet doing this? Is it to take revenge on me? Does she even know their plans?'

'Zidane, you broke her heart. She feels desperate and isolated; she longs to be rid of these feelings that plague her – the love for you and the hate for herself. The Eidolons promised that if she summons them one more time then they will release her of these emotions and she can rule as queen over the barren world the Eidolons will create.'

_Just like Necron,_ _she longs for a world without emotion._ 'What…shall I…do? They'll kill her after she summons them!'

'Yes, they will, but she doesn't know that.'

'Then I have to warn her!'

'Do you think she'd listen to you, brother?'

The Genome remembered her tear streaked face and the mad glint that flashed in her eyes as she had raised his dagger above her head, ready to strike him down.

'No…But I can't just sit here and let all this happen!' Then he muttered almost to himself, 'I'm sorry for what happened…I should've listened to her, I shouldn't of left her, dammit! None of this would've happened…'

'It's pointless blaming yourself now, Zidane,' Mikoto said suddenly. She was looking up at him with a soft expression and smiling eyes. 'You hardly knew. It's just your way. She loves you still, anyway. Isn't that the only thing that matters? If the love you feel for one another still exists then I believe there's still hope.'

'Mikoto…'

The snowy-white owl ruffled its feathers and fluttered its wings in an impatient manner. 'So you still love her then?'

'Yes!'

'And you're willing to risk everything to Gaia? Even if it means sacrificing everything you love?'

'Of course!'

'Then you have a big task ahead of you, brother. You are physically strong but emotionally you are very weak. I must train you hard over the next few months before the Eidolons have gathered enough power for the Final Summoning. That is my purpose; the only way I can atone for my sins.'

Zidane stood up and took a long, deep breath. 'What do you want me to do?'

_: Sings to self : An explanation on everything finally! Hurray for reincarnated Kuja-owl! Erm… next chapter there will be…the reuniting of nearly all the gang…and an explanation of what Zidane has to do…will it cost him his life? Or maybe Garnet's? You'll have to wait until the next update! **Review perdy please!**_


	7. Chapter seven

_Hm…you're probably wondering why Quina isn't in this story; well I'll tell you. He is an annoyingly pointless character within the game; he held no relevance to the plot whatsoever and was merely a person to even the party numbers up. I think the game could've done without him and my story can definitely__ do without him. That is why. There, I have vented my anger._

**Chapter seven**

_'I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is that they need to change to get better.' GC Litchenberg_

The journey wasn't as arduous as she had expected. The Monsters that had once burdened their path to cities and continents were sparse due to the dispersed Mist, which disappeared a few years after the war. Any hindrance that did occur was quickly cleared by Amarant's cunning, wit and strength, backed occasionally by Eiko's progressive White Mage skills. Not that there were many hindrances. A few reckless bandits, persistent merchants and the odd weak monster, but other than that the journey was uneventful and tiring because of the unexpected heat wave that was sweeping through most of the Mist Continent. Eiko couldn't believe they had chosen such a time to travel.

It had taken about two days to reach the outskirts of Donna Plains Forest on the Iifa Continent (previously known as the Unknown Continent but renamed shortly after the war by Queen Garnet). Eiko, Amarant and a few loyal crewmembers had flown over via the Hilda Garde. Amarant had spent most of the journey submerged in pensive thoughts beneath the hull while Eiko excitedly tottered from here to there anxiously anticipating reuniting with Zidane and the others. Amarant warned Eiko 'not to get her hopes high' and 'not to expect a warm welcome' when she chattered eagerly about the Genome; Amarant had been advised to be careful and considerate around the previous thief; upsetting or insulting him would not be surpassed with a cheeky grin or obscene gesture at present.

Of course, the lively sixteen year old paid the redhead no heed. She had started again and was babbling on about a seemingly special meal Eiko had once cooked Zidane ten years ago when they had first met. By the way she went on, someone would think Eiko was married to him.

The Hilda Garde could not reach the village that lay hidden in the deepest part of Donna Plains Forest, so landed just outside the wooded terrain and departed for Conde Petite after the princess and the bounty hunter had disappeared from sight amidst the trees.

Drowning out the incessant noise behind him, Amarant strode down the dirt tracks toward the mage's village. He kept a close eye on the number of wide-eyed owls that dotted the trees like decorations knowing that the closer one was to the village the less owls there would be. Why they didn't just sign post the wood correctly was beyond him.

Golden strips of sunlight sliced back the cool shadows and baked the earth beneath. Bedraggled looking weeds poked their ugly heads up through the pathway which cut through the thickly growing trees like a snake in long grass. The pathway was riddled with beetles and butterflies. Their ears were filled with birdsong and the nervous barks of deer, their boots making only the slightest of sounds amidst the forest's song. They spent this time hardly talking, Amarant wondering whether Eiko had finally run out of things to say and Eiko wondering what she could say next. She picked a bunch of white flowers and strung them together in a makeshift chain, which she wore around her neck. She would hum to herself and catch brightly colored beetles in midair, letting them scurry across her milky skin in their busy fashion. The couple stopped only once for Eiko to relieve herself and when she insisted in washing her face in an icy stream they had heard just off the track.

They weaved down these interlocking roads for a good three hours, back tracking when Amarant would take a wrong turn, but finally they reached the Mage Village, home to the great Master Vivi and temporarily (or so was the impression Amarant received) the strongest man in the world, Lord Zidane. It looked the same, there was no doubt, with its wooden houses and thatched roofs, the cheery atmosphere and the relaxed setting, backed by the occasional cry from a chocobo. Amarant liked it because it was quiet.

Eiko was about to speak but (much to Amarant's relief) a Genome was drifting past and they caught his eye. He turned to them with a curious stare and passive expression and asked in a straight-to-the-point tone, 'You are here to see Zidane?'

Amarant nodded.

'You cannot.'

Needless to say, this bold statement took the couple aback. 'What do you mean 'we cannot'?'

'What I say is precisely what I mean.'

'Don't talk in riddles!' Eiko cried furiously. 'Take us to see Zidane now! Do you know how far we've traveled to see him?'

'No.'

'Very far! Besides, there are a lot more people coming to see him so you can't hold them all back with your silly words!'

'I do not intend to. They are already here. If you wish to see your companions then come this way.'

The princess and the mercenary glanced at each other then proceeded to follow the Genome who led them over the small bridge in front of the inn, then around the squat building to the edge of the wood where there was small clearing carpeted with a thick layer of ferns and bark. Zidane's brother swept the thigh-high ferns aside soundlessly and Eiko noticed that a tiny pathway had already been made through the foliage; someone had been here earlier.

No leafy balcony covered this area and the sun was beating down hard on the travelers and Eiko hoped they would not have to sit in this heated area. But the Genome took them to a shady corner dipped in watery-gray shadow where the ferns that itched at her bare legs were cut away, revealing a thin layer of bark and soft grass. In that space, a small group had accumulated and was sitting in a rough circle, seemingly awaiting their arrival.

'Ah, Lady Eiko! Amarant! You made it unscathed. I'm glad.'

Eiko smiled at the Dragon Knight and let the cool shade from the branches above wash over her senses as she sat down amidst the circle. 'Yeah, I'm glad you're all safe too.'

'It was very considerate of you to give the warning I gave you to Lady Eiko, Amarant,' the armor-clad Captain Steiner said to Amarant, who grunted a vague reply and waved his massive hand in the air.

'I was so worried that the assassins would get to you all first,' he added sadly, 'when the Queen finds out I am here I have no doubt she will send one after me also.'

'She would send someone to kill off her own captain?' Freya asked, a little shocked.

'In the state she is in, it would not surprise me.'

There was an awkward silence for a moment until the little mage who had been sitting quietly contemplating their situation, asked, 'How is Garnet?'

Steiner shrugged. 'The same when I left her but possibly worse now. I was reluctant at leaving Beatrix alone with her. The queen would become quite dependant on her now I have left.'

'Beatrix can take care of herself, I'm quite sure,' Freya reassured him. 'Besides, we have larger things to worry about at present; what exactly is controlling Garnet's mind?'

'How do we stop the assassins?'

'How can we prevent other attacks on Alexandria's neighboring countries?'

'And where _is_ Zidane?' Eiko commented crossly.

'That's a good point,' Steiner said, getting up and stretching. 'We cannot resolve the matter involving the Queen without her husband being there himself. I say we search for him.'

'But,' Vivi began quietly, 'if Taro said we can't see him…then I don't think we can.'

'You're referring to the Genome who lead us here I presume?' Amarant grunted. He looked round but the Genome had slipped silently back to the village some minutes ago.

'Yes. He's the only one that has spoken to Mikoto in three days.'

'Three days?'

'Yeah, Mikoto and Zidane went into the wood five days ago and haven't come out since,' the little mage explained while picking absently at some grass. 'All we've heard of them is a message from Mikoto saying not to enter the wood and to vacate you guys here until Zidane is ready.'

'Ready? What in the eidolons name does _that_ mean?' Eiko questioned, tugging the ends of her long purple hair. 'Hmm… what now then? Should we go and see Zidane anyway?'

'We're sitting ducks if not,' Freya answered. 'Do we wait for the assassins to locate us and endanger the village? Or interrupt Zidane in… whatever he is doing? I choose the lesser of the two evils personally.'

'Quite right; we have no time to wait for him; we have a right to know in what antics he is indulging himself in,' the captain added.

'I hardly think that he considers himself to be 'indulging' in anything.'

The small group turned in surprise to a densely foliaged thicket where a figure stood, carelessly picking the red campion and yellow celandine. Her light blonde hair fell in front of her pastel blue eyes as she dipped to snap another stem. Only the gentle rustling of her woolen clothes could be heard as they brushed again the jade green plants surrounding her petite frame. She continued this for a moment or two then stood and looked over at the speechless crowd indifferently.

'He will come to you when he is ready,' she finished finally. 'Until then you may wait here.'

Eiko took a step forward (choosing to ignore her last statement). 'Mikoto, is he okay?'

Mikoto smelt the bundle of wild flowers delicately. 'Zidane? He is calmer than before… reckless and unpredictable still. He knew you would come and told me to explain the current predicament to my best.' She looked up again. 'You have questions, I presume?'

'We have no idea what is going on,' the Dragon Knight stated blatantly.

'Then I'll enlighten your situation. Ask me anything.'

A glance seemed to pass through the group and a strange mutual agreement formed. Steiner was the first to ask the question.

'What is wrong with the queen?'

'The eidolons are manipulating her to take revenge on the people that turned their backs on them: Garnet and Zidane. Only, as their contempt grew so did their ideals for vengeance. Now they are intent on enslaving all the races of the world, as they did to them.'

There was silence as the group tried to take this information in. Eiko sat down with a bump and drew her knees to her chest, distraught and confused at the Eidolon's ruthless intentions. Steiner seemed almost happy for a moment.

'You mean there is nothing actually wrong with the queen?' he asked.

'Not necessarily,' she replied. 'The Eidolon's are slowly eating away her sanity… they twisted her thoughts and feelings, showing her false images that bent and eventually broke her heart. Now she is cold and uncaring for the world and believes that Zidane is the root to her unhappiness. She is so tormented by the Eidolons' rotting words that she agreed to summon them when they are at full power in exchange for them to take away the feelings she is experiencing.'

'So…when they get to full power, Garnet will summon them all at once and they'll… destroy all the life on this planet?'

Mikoto nodded. 'Starting with Zidane.'

The group fell silent. A wall of despair and disbelief built itself around them and they struggled with their inner torments.

Vivi grasped the rim of his hat. 'Wh-what are we…to do?'

'There's nothing we can do!' Eiko wailed in misery. 'The Eidolons are too powerful for anyone to defeat!'

'That's not necessarily true.'

They turned to her.

'You're not suggesting that Zidane… is any match for an Eidolon…are you?'

'Not as he is; he may be the strongest man on Gaia but only Eidolons can destroy Eidolons.'

'So… if we get another Eidolon…'

'There aren't any!' Eiko cried. 'Garnet possessed them all! And it's too late now anyway! They have made their decision and they won't turn back on it now! What do we do?'

'She didn't have all of them,' Mikoto replied with a grin.

'_What_?'

'There was one more. It's near useless now. It's body is dead and decayed and all that is left is it's soul; the heart of it's power.'

'What are you talking about? Where on Gaia did you find an Eidolon?' Eiko cried in disbelief. 'I'm a summoner, I should be able to sense each Eidolon to a certain extent and the only ones I could sense were the ones that both Garnet and I carried.'

'Three years ago,' Mikoto began, 'Zidane went on a mission to obtain a priceless jewel, rumored to contain an Eidolon the archeologists had discovered years ago. They failed in retrieving it due to the masses of monsters that swarmed in the underground cavern where it lay buried. Many mercenaries had attempted in salvage the jewel, using a map the surviving archeologists had created, but none lived to possess its power. They needed the strongest of warriors to collect it and Zidane volunteered…as he put it: 'For the challenge'. His description of the task he had confronted was…horrific, to say the least. It's a gift that he even survived.'

'So that would explain his rapid escalation in strength and skill,' Freya observed thoughtfully.

'He was successful in his mission,' Zidane's sister continued in an electronic voice. 'He recovered the artifact and originally planned to take it back to Alexandria as a gift for Garnet… but he was too late. The Eidolons had woven their web inside her head and she left him as the shell of a person you saw in Burmecia. He's feeling a little better now, I have to say, but nowhere near the audacious Zidane we've known through the years.'

A pause ensued and the cheerful chirrup of birds and soothing shushing of leaves fell on deaf ears as the group was plunged into the density of the dark situation.

Steiner rubbed the growing stubble on his chin. 'What use is an Eidolon that has no body to convey its power with?'

'That is where Zidane comes into the equation,' Mikoto replied. 'The Eidolon's soul is still very alive, and – summoner or not – because Zidane retrieved it, he is now its master; it will do anything Zidane commands. We have planned to release the Eidolons soul, the key to its power, into Zidane's body. When it binds itself with my brother, Zidane will be part human and part Eidolon.'

_'WHAT?'_

_'YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS?'_

_'PART EIDOLON?'_

_'IS THAT POSSIBLE?'_

The angry cries rang shrilly through the forest and birds scattered in all directions, leaving a trail of feathers, leaves and calls of alarm in their wake.

'Yes, I too opposed the idea when he decided Zidane's fate...but you must understand, it is the only way to save Gaia from total annihilation.'

'Hey! Wait a minute!' Vivi exclaimed. 'You said 'when he decided Zidane's fate', who is 'he'?'

A ghost of a smile passed across Mikoto's face as she replied simply: 'Kuja.'

'Kuja!'

'No, it can't be! He is dead! W-we saw it! Z-Zidane saw it!'

'He passed away in the Iifa Tree ten years ago? How did this happen? When? Why?'

A wave of laughter escaped from Mikoto's lips. 'I knew you'd be shocked!'

'_THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER_!' Steiner cried, angrily shaking his fists in the air. 'Kuja is a dangerous criminal that did not hesitate in his attempt to take our lives and those of our world! He cannot be trusted and I do not believe that Zidane would trust him either!'

Zidane's sister smiled. 'I was as surprised as you when he appeared in the wood five years ago. He is…no longer human, really. The gods took pity on him and gave him one chance to repent for his sins. They sent him back to Gaia in form of an owl, where he waited patiently for a time to aid Zidane and travel to the Eternal Rest in peace.' She sighed. 'Zidane was…irate at first: irate at me and irate at Kuja. But it did him good to learn about the origins of his wife's broken heart and it gave him a stronger purpose in his broken life. Try to understand.'

Eiko sat down clumsily and held her pretty face in her hands. 'This is way too much to take in,' she complained. 'An Eidolon's soul merging with a mortals? I've never heard such an outrageous proposal!'

'Only an Eidolon can destroy an Eidolon. It must be done,' Mikoto repeated. A sad expression adorned her features. 'There are risks though.'

'Naturally,' Amarant retorted.

'You have all witnessed the power an Eidolon wields. It's an immense force that sweeps through its opponent stronger the most powerful of storms. If Zidane…if he cannot take this power…he will die.'

Eiko leaped up. 'We can't take a risk like that! Throwing Zidane into such a precarious situation! He doesn't have a chance, Eidolons are so powerful!'

'Kuja is training him,' Mikoto replied simply. 'He is not teaching him how to fight, but how to control his emotions when it enters him. Zidane has no problems dealing with his strength.'

Freya rested her head on the nearby trunk of a tree. 'I do not believe this is happening. I will gladly fight alongside him…but what use are we when we cannot harm such colossus giants?'

'Because they will be summoned all at once, they will come from the same place and at the same time. This place will be Alexandria, where Garnet is residing. They will emerge out of a portal, quite unlike a normal summoning, for so many will be entering Gaia at once. This is what Kuja believes; he said that Garnet is not strong enough to summon them one after the other individually and sustain them there long enough for them to destroy life, so the only other way is for her to create a portal using their energy. But alongside the Eidolons, monsters of all breeds and strength will swarm, savagely diminishing every living thing in their path – starting with Alexandria. It will be your job to keep them at bay as long as you can until Zidane has completed his mission.'

Steiner gawped. 'And Zidane will fight all the Eidolons single handedly?'

'No. That will definitely lead to his death. Zidane must destroy the source of their power.'

The group gasped.

'Garnet?' Vivi stammered out. 'He'd…d-destroy…G-Garnet?'

'NO! HE CANNOT DESTORY THE QUEEN!' Steiner screamed to the sky. 'How could he agree to such a thing?'

'Let life on Gaia live; let his only love live? A dilemma no one should face in their time,' Freya said sadly. 'I guess he determined the consequences, and who knows what surprises Zidane has in store for us? He always was the hero.'

Mikoto seemed to contemplate what she said with misty eyes and then said, 'Perhaps. But…I cannot see a way through his predicament apart the path that has already been chosen. He must kill Garnet…besides, by the time the Eidolons have gathered enough power to create the portal she will be complete submerged in the sea of madness. I'm afraid… there's nothing we can do to save her now. I'm sorry.'

Steiner said no more and hung his head. Eiko wept for her only living relative who she considered to be her sister. If Garnet died then she would be alone again, the last of her kind. She didn't want that to happen…she wanted their group to be together always! She would sacrifice anything to give that.

'Fate is a cruel creature.' Freya released a nervous laugh, which ended with a choked sob. 'P-perhaps in another world…at another time, we will meet again like this, together. Zidane, Garnet, Steiner, Vivi, Eiko, Amarant and I…and at that place there will be nothing to separate us…especially not Zidane and Garnet.'

'If such a place exists, I wouldn't mind going there now,' Amarant grumbled. 'But…duty calls, s'pose we better deal with these rabid Eidolons and see if we can rebuild what we got, eh? Try not looking on the negative side. We'll win. The good guys always win.'

A small pause and then, 'How much time do we have to prepare?' Vivi asked.

'Roughly two months.'

A gloom cloud settled over the group.

'Two months…? W-what can we do in two months?' Steiner whined in despair.

Mikoto's eyes shone and her tone became assertive. 'Train, battle and stock up on everything you need. The battle ahead of you will be the most arduous fight you will ever have to execute. Every ounce of skill and strength is needed to overcome the viscous beasts you will face. On the day of the Final Summoning you will fight for everything you have ever known and cared about, you will defend your honor and your kingdoms...even until death. Every one of you has a unique purpose for fighting…for staying alive. Hold that purpose and keep it with you as you fight; it will be your strength. Don't let the size of the Eidolons deter you; together you can accomplish anything!

'As for Zidane, the next time you see him he will be a different man. He will be stronger than we can imagine and all we can do now is pray for his safety and his courage to destroy the person he loves. But he will not be alone. You must alongside him or the world, as we know it will be no more. Leave here now and prepare for the task that awaits you, even if it may be your last.'

_Well now you know what's happening finally, but will they pull through? Review please!_


	8. Chapter eight

_:coughs importantly: I have done a fanart of Zidane and owl-Kuja. It's based on the first paragraph of chapter 10 so you'll be getting a preview of the future! It doesn't give much away but ...:shrugs:...the link is in my profile..GO LOOK! hehe...R&R!_

_Replies:_

_Jenki Emeralds - Garnet's only saying 'bad words' because she possessed. But you didn't know that and I doubt you're even reading this chapter…so I'm wasting my time saying this really aren't I? Thanks for your review anyway!_

_Ikecer -no I've never actually reenacted my scenes, probably because I don't particularly want to kill people, but I did do martial arts for a while if that's any help. Hm… although, I doubt very much brilliant authors such as Stephen King went up to a Pet Cemetery to bury his dead son NOR did he release a super-virus to wipe out America and fight the imps of Satan…but hey I could be wrong. Thanks for the review!_

_Tc chan -:screams: WHERE DID I PUT THAT? Omg that is a MAJOR error on my behalf…of course Burmercia doesn't have a cinema! I will change that when I can be bothered! Thank you for pointing it out…I don't even remember writing it ¬¬;; _

_Kuja King - well…It is written in there that it's none of the eidolons we actually know It's a dead eidolon, it's soul is the only part of it left. Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough ; )_

_THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS GUYS, KEEP 'EM COMING!_

**Chapter Eight**

'I take the sting and close the door  
On everything that I became  
I close my eyes to see your face  
It holds me up and knocks me down.'  
- Hell is for heroes

He could feel it even now, pulsating like a living thing, erupting his senses in flashes of bright lights like fireworks, exploding through his fingertips. It twirled and spiraled inside him, part of his being and he wasn't afraid of it. He accepted it, met it eye to eye and overcame it, compressing for later use. His power. He knew not when he came upon it, perhaps years of battling powerful monsters had allowed him to acquire these unfamiliar abilities gradually, like building an indomitable castle. Bit by bit, piece by piece, he became unknowingly stronger and though he did not know it at the time, his foe began to quail before his approaching form, blending into the shadows to avoid his sweeping eyes. They began to _fear_ him.

Kuja saw that soon enough. He wanted to lure the beasts of the woods out to battle Zidane, so he could witness his brother's 'god-like' strength for himself; but there was hardly any need. They came out briefly and observed him, only to turn and flee like terrified children from the male Genome. Even stupid beasts like those could sense his 'god-like' powers, and returned to the inky blackness they had dragged themselves from without even battle cry escaping their mouths.

This is how the owl knew that only Zidane would be able to possess the fiery soul of an Eidolon.

But he also knew that Zidane wasn't mentally up for the challenge; he was emotionally unstable, which he guessed was what the Eidolons wanted. Using his love as a weapon against him was a clever plan, Kuja had admitted to himself while scanning Zidane's condition skeptically. But, he thought, it's nothing a little training can harden.

Momentarily, Zidane was perched on a nearby branch staring up at the leaves, at nothing. He had a veil drawn over his eyes and expression. Kuja could tell he was in another place mentally. He needed to dispel this distant mindedness or else the Eidolon would capture his thoughts, unwrap them and destroy him. Not that the Eidolon was evil (or so he hoped), it could not be helped; an Eidolon can hardly help its powerfulness. Just like Zidane couldn't help his.

'Zidane!' the owl screeched suddenly and Zidane started, then looked across at the beautiful owl with a mixture of annoyance and melancholy glittering in his blue eyes.

'What?'

'Don't 'what' me. You know 'what'. How are you meant to become strong enough to dominate such immeasurable power if you cannot prevent yourself from daydreaming?' Kuja snapped with a façade of anger specking his voice. 'Wake up, get down from that branch and do what I tell you!'

Zidane turned on him then, staying ever true to his new, unpredictable, violent outbursts that were leaving black spots on his golden reputation. His perfect teeth were bared and his tail was savagely lashing back and forth as he launched himself like a rocket at the nocturnal bird in an amazing show of brutality.

Kuja hopped neatly out the way and Zidane crashed to floor. 'There, you're awake _and_ you've got down. That wasn't hard was it?'

'Shut the hell up damn bird! I don't need to take orders from you!' Zidane spat back, brushing leaves and twigs off his front.

'Oh my dearest brother, I think you do,' Kuja countered in a mocking voice. 'You want to save Gaia, don't you?'

Zidane growled and shot a withering glare at the owl before nodding stiffly.

'Excellent! Your training begun a few seconds ago and you've failed already. Lesson one: Control your anger.'

'Dammit! You could of warned me!' he flared.

'Failed again!' Kuja hopped from foot to foot in amusement and gave a little scream of laughter. 'You're just going to keep on failing aren't you? What a hero you turned out to be! I thought you were meant to be strong, but you can't even protect your own wife! Ha ha!'

'Damn you bastard I'll shut you up for good!'

Zidane threw himself at the old oak's trunk and tried to climb. Kuja rained him with twigs and leaves while laughing manically and throwing more taunts at the infuriated Genome.

'Look at you, pathetic creature! A mere woman has defeated you, oh mighty warrior, broken your little heart as if it were made of glass! What makes you think you can do anything, let alone save the world again?'

Finally, Zidane realized what his brother was doing.

The former thief allowed himself to slip down the trunk, feeling the scratch of the bark against his chest. He sat down on the floor cross-legged and stared intently at some moss that was growing purposefully up the tree. He took deep breaths.

'Giving up eh?' Kuja continued, flapping his wings. 'You always were a coward, you ran from your wife even though you knew she needed your help! You're weak, Zidane you always have and you always will be, no training I can ever give you will change that!'

The moss was an olive green color, speckled with light blue flowers that reminded Zidane of the crystal blue sea he had swum in when he was very young.

'You don't know what's good for you! You stupid boy, you can hardly call yourself a man! With the courage of a mouse and the brains of a Mu! Save Gaia? Ha! It was all luck! I defeated you once and I could do it again with one hand tied behind my back! And then when I'm finished I'd run off with that pretty wife of yours!'

He imagined himself in that clear ocean, laughing as the waves washed over him, rimmed with froth like a cake lined with frosting. He was with his Tantalus brothers –he remembered now! The color of the sea was so intense, and he could see fish – the colors of a rainbow – darting nervously around his feet. He could hear the soft lullaby of the sea around. He could smell the salty water. He could taste it in his mouth. He could –

'Zidane.'

His eyes snapped open.

'Well done,' Kuja said calmly. 'You've learnt to control your anger.'

They had not much time left until Garnet released the Eidolons, but Kuja didn't seem to care as Zidane progressed in his training in leaps and bounds. His brother was a good student and from the point where he learnt to control his anger, he tried to focus his energies into concentrating on the labors that awaited him rather than drift away on a cloud of misery.

Sorrow, regret and guilt were the focus of his training. At first they overwhelmed him, especially when Garnet's name was mentioned. He would become quite foul-mouthed when the owl tried to wake him out of it and disappeared for an hour or two until Kuja would find him finally, slumped like a scolded child in a dark corner of the forest. After laying upon him the severity of the situation and not getting a polite response, Kuja had tried another approach.

'How do you think she is?'

Zidane had bristled slightly, as if preparing for a fight, but relaxed again and inclined his head slightly, thinking. 'What do you mean?'

The owl had fluttered gracefully to the forest floor and looked up at his brother with cool, amber eyes. 'It's a simple question, isn't it? How do you think she's feeling?'

'Hell, I dunno,' he had replied crudely.

Kuja had laughed in an owl-ish shriek. 'Well, put yourself in her position! Things that no one else can see or hear are manipulating you, you've just dismissed the person you love against your will and have denied even your strongest feelings. You're turning your back on everyone you've ever cared about and are about to claim war over the world in which you grew up in, and you're being told all this by the things that you thought you trusted and have been a part of you since you were a child.'

The Genome had contemplated this for quite a while, staring solemnly at the ground with an alien expression carved into his flawless features. Eventually, he had replied, 'Scared…I guess. Confused. Betrayed. Trapped…and lonely…real lonely.'

'Do you think she wants to stay like that?'

'…No.'

'Then you should set her free. She would be grateful, she loves you after all.' The owl had then added more gravely: 'But you're not going to be able to even get near her again if you don't dispel these feelings and get on with your training!'

After that gloomy afternoon Zidane's attitude to his training had improved dramatically. He stayed alert whenever Kuja mentioned his wife's name (which he made a habit of to do frequently) and listened intently to every order his older brother gave.

In all honestly, the ex-thief found the training excruciatingly difficult. The pain that seared through his soul every time the snow-colored owl spoke _her_ name – and with such accusation! – was unbearable. However, he had found a trick that made his heavy emotions seem lighter, that even Kuja didn't know about, no doubt he would be irked if he did. At first, Zidane had tried to counter the dark emotions with better ones, trying desperately to grasp at the threads of his love for Garnet and cling to them; but it hurt; so he stopped. Now he found that all he had to do every time he became angry or miserable or full of loathing, was just to conjure the distant memory of the time he had been in the sea. He could not exactly locate where he was; he must have been very young. But just the thought of the unblemished, crystal ocean that lapped lovingly around him was enough to quell the emotions that raged within him. It relaxed him, soothed him, washed away the anxiety he felt, so he clung to that memory like a shipwrecked man clinging to driftwood, and struggled through his training with the man that had once sought to destroy him.

So now, Zidane was finishing a day of training, which consisted mainly of meditating, balancing the difference between emotion and strength, compressing and calming his thoughts and imagining himself in the ocean with Tantalus. He was lying on the highest branch of the oak tree and listening to birds singing to the sunset, letting fatigue sweep over him. The reddish-pink hues of the sun tinted his skin and bathed him in a gentle light, dappled by the leaves, motionless in the still evening. He had his hands behind his head and had one leg arched, the other leg swinging lazily over the right side of the branch. His eyes were half open.

_What is to become of me?_ he thought in a haze of tiredness. _Will I die? Will I…kill Garnet? Can I really do it? Has it come to this? No! There must be another way… there must be…another…be another…way…I can't, can I, I can't no! But I can't turn back now…too late… _He let out a long yawn and what he thought next was so close to sleep he had forgotten about it when he awoke._ Garnet…I love you._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_Zidane I love you._

She startled herself from a disjointed slumber and sat up hastily. For a blissful moment between sleep and consciousness her thoughts had been her own, and in those few seconds her they had been drawn to one subject like moths to a flame: Zidane. But now that she had fully awoken her mind became twisted again and the Eidolons persuasive magic pulsed through her veins, as deadly as poison. Now she could not remember what she had thought and reckoned that it hardly mattered…yet her heart was aching and there was something surfacing…a memory? A face? A feeling…? Yes! A feeling…what?

_Love, it's so nearly time; are you wasting your precious moments lingering in bed?_

The feeling was gone.

'I'm tired that's all,' she replied hastily. 'I'll get up now.' Quietly. 'Did the assassins I sent out have any luck destroying the group?'

An annoyed grumble vibrated in the back of her mind. _Not yet, but they shall find them soon. It seems they have disappeared, including your captain._

'I know…' She quickly averted the subject. 'I hardly think they've disappeared. They've probably congregated somewhere to discuss the situation. I haven't the faintest clue where.'

Garnet was dressing now, pulling her gown on carelessly. A flash of light caught her eye suddenly and she looked to the left. An oval mirror winked back at her. She had not looked in a mirror for so long, she had no care to, why should she care what the people around her thought of her anymore?

But there was a sudden temptation, an urge, drawing her to the reflective glass this time, just to look. Despite her world-famous beauty, Garnet was not a vain person but for some reason she just wanted to see…see what? A strange curiosity had arisen in her that she could not explain.

_Our preparations are almost complete. Very soon, love, very soon. It's so close…we can taste it, we can feel it, and we can see it!_

'We can see it'…the words echoed in her mind as she drew closer to the mirror, suddenly oblivious to everything around her, as if she was in a bizarre horror setting where something hideous would jump out of the mirror.

_And we shall bring the Falcon Claw to you, the key, the key to the summoning which you will unlock and bring us forth! This exhilarating feeling is overpowering! Yes! Yes!_

She stood before the mirror now and it took every fiber in her body to stop her from screaming. And it wasn't because she looked different; it was because she didn't recognize the person staring back. For all she knew she could have been looking into the brown eyes of a stranger. Her eyes were sunken and blood shot, her lips thin and cruel, her hair was a tangled, greasy clump sitting like a monster on her back and dark lines of dirt rimmed her skeletal face and neck.

_What's wrong love?_

A sudden streak of sanity erupted within her mind and she screamed inwardly. Like a vivid dream, she suddenly saw herself smashing the glass screens that were her mental imprisonment. Her cage shattered in crystal teardrops and she was overwhelmed. Suppressed memories and feelings came flooding back in a blazing squall and she collapsed backwards. Garnet became aware. For the first time in years she became completely aware of everything around her, she would look at things and they would have meaning, not the emptiness the Eidolons had portrayed to her. It was like she had been looking at things through a mirror, she could see them and they looked real but they weren't and she could not touch them or feel them or link them together with precious memories and she screamed, 'I am free!'

She could think! Her thoughts were her own and she was thinking!

'I am thinking!' she cried in delight and laughed at the top of her voice while screaming: 'My thoughts! My thoughts! I can think! I can feel!'

She was happily drowning with intense feelings that bound her in a cocoon of bliss and ecstasy. She had not felt so alive for years! She screamed again at the top of voice just because she could, just because there was nothing inside preventing her from doing so and she laughed and laughed until tears rolled down her sunken cheeks and her side hurt.

The door was flung open and an alarmed looking Beatrix flew in with her sword unsheathed. She stopped when she saw Garnet on the floor laughing like a lunatic. She stepped forward gingerly.

'My…my Queen?'

Garnet opened her eyes and looked at her General, still laughing like crazy. It was when their eyes met that realization dawned upon Beatrix. It was all right now. It was okay. She was fine. Alexandria was fine. Whatever happened had ended finally. Steiner could come home. They were safe! The queen was back to normal!

_So you think that's it do you?_

Garnet's laughter ended so abruptly someone could of cast Silence on her.

_Well your wrong._

The queen looked despairing at her general, as on final plea for help but was surprised to find Steiner's wife looking anxiously around with a deep frown etched into her forehead. Her sword was ready and she was in an attacking stance.

'Where are those voices coming from?'

Garnet nearly burst. 'You can hear them?' She scrambled to her feet, stumbling over the hem of her gown. 'You can hear the voices? You can hear what they're saying?' She shook Beatrix gently, her face alight with joy.

'Who are they?' the general demanded, worriedly scanning her environment.

Cold laughter echoed eerily around the room. _Do no take it as a good sign_ love. The laughter came again and seemed closer. It made the hair on the back of Garnet's neck stir and prickle, goose bumps freckled her arms and she suddenly clung to Beatrix for support.

She didn't want to be alone again.

'Who are you and want do you want?' Beatrix cried out to the empty room. 'Show yourselves, cowards!'

_Oh we will. It is time now. Prepare to face death and meet destruction in its most monstrous form. _

'What are you – ah!'

Beatrix was thrown across the room as a wave of electric energy pulsed from Garnet's body. She was winded slightly and knelt on the floor, her entire body numb with the aftershock, and she watched Garnet in horror and confusion as she rose off the ground and hovering helplessly in the air. She was panicking terribly, sweat was pouring from her struggling form and she was sobbing madly as she was held in an invisible hand.

'No! Stop, I beg you!' she pleaded desperately but she was answered with only a cackle of unsettling laughter.

Garnet watched as the air in front of her sparked and cracked suddenly. The air seemed to cave in on itself, as if it was being sucked into a black hole no more the size of her fists. It let out a horrific bang and blue and violet pinpricks of light burst outward of this space, a sudden flash of intense light blinded her momentarily and when she opened her eyes she cried out in horror and tried to move away but could not.

Her old family amulet hovered before he face. Rays light danced off its slanted edges and shone tiny, square, rainbow reflections onto the surrounding walls and Garnet's face. Once she thought the crystal necklace was beautiful and it filled her with pride and awe whenever she set eyes on it, but now she was filled with fear and disgust and commenced trying to escape from it once more.

The Falcon Claw began to drift toward her, leaving a trail of magical sparks behind it and making the reflections dash madly around the walls like those of a disco ball. Unable to move, she let out a scream as the chain encircled her neck and she felt the familiar weight of the amulet press against her chest. There was a series of bright flashes that engulfed the room in their flare for long seconds before dissipating and then Beatrix found it suddenly clear what was happening; just too late.

_It is time for a new beginning, _they said.

_**EVIL EIDOLONS I KILL YOU!**_

_**ahem...**_

_**Well there you go, Garnet's not being possessed anymore by them, but does that mean they'll be summoned and will that change Kuja's plan? Who knows? Except me. And you, if you read the next chapter…which is nearly finished. Reviews are MUCH appreciated.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_Oooo yeah, I did a fanart of Zidane and owl-Kuja (it's based on this fic obviously!). The link is in my profile so go check it out okay? It's also a kinda bad sneak preview because the pic is based on the first paragraph of the next chapter! It doesn't give much away but hey, it'll give you a few clues!_

_The battle for Gaia gets underway…oh the suspense! YOU BETTER REVIEW THIS CHAPTER! Or else…I'll set my livid Eidolons on you and it WON'T be pretty. Lol._

**Chapter nine**

"Lets have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."

- Abraham Lincoln

He awoke very slowly, probably because he was so tired and wasn't ready to wake yet, and also because someone was calling his name over and over and it was really pissing him off so he rolled onto his other side only to get a nasty shock of falling off the branch he had slept on and tasting dirt and leaves in his mouth.

A gentle fluttering sound cued the entrance of his older brother.

'It's happened,' he said.

Zidane sat up and rubbed his face. 'What?'

'She has summoned the Eidolons. The news has only just come.' He paused awkwardly. 'Zidane, I'm sorry. You'll have to leave right away.'

Zidane stared at the owl in disbelief, speechless.

'I know you're not ready. No one expected it to happen this soon. But your friends left about a month ago; hopefully they will be ready to defend Gaia. We have to give it everything we've got.' Another pause. He shifted. 'You should say goodbye to Mikoto now.'

_He doesn't think I'll live._

'I know you'll win Zidane. I have faith in you. But Mikoto…she's…upset.'

Zidane got up soundlessly and made his way back to the village, Kuja resting on his shoulder. Zidane could feel his talons digging into his shoulder but he didn't mind; he owed the man – bird…everything. If it wasn't for his brother he would still be a shambled wreck, love sick and foolish. Now he was so much more. He would be a hero once again.

For the first time in two months he entered society again. Nothing had changed, which for some peculiar reason surprised him. The squat, thatched houses rimmed the trickling stream still, chocobos cried out peacefully, the odd murmur of conversation drifted on the air and Genomes and Mages alike wandered around doing just that, or business.

It took a while but some of his brothers and sisters noticed the lone figure with the beautiful owl on his shoulder, standing uncertainly on the outskirts of their village. Two girls and a boy strode over to him while the Mages hung back, partly out of fear and respect. The Genomes said nothing but bowed their heads slightly, lifting their eyes to meet his.

'I'm fine,' Zidane said quietly, and walked past them feeling like a god.

He knew where to go. And when he reached the place, she was there as he expected. He sat beside her and heard the bridge creak slightly and sway under his weight. The stream gurgled contently and the silver fish swam along with the gentle current, the water plants bending slightly as if being blown by a breeze.

Zidane looked at her face that was downcast, her blue eyes fixed on the stream below. She looked sad.

'How are you?' he asked softly.

Mikoto looked across at him and he thought he saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes. She looked away quickly, ashamed.

'Hey,' he said uselessly but it was too late and now she was sobbing quietly into the crook of her arm. 'Hey,' he said again, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. 'Don't cry. It's okay.'

'No it's not,' she sniffed, and tried to pull away from him. 'It's not okay.'

His shoulder felt light and he wondered when Kuja had left them.

'How do you expect me to win if I don't have my little sis' backing me?'

She had covered her face with her arm but he thought he heard a muffled laugh merged with her weeping. 'It's not fair,' she replied finally. 'I don't want you to go.'

He hardly heard what she said but understood how she must feel and pulled her to him again more forcefully this time, removing her arm from her face at the same time. She retaliated a little but in the end gave up and let him hug her to his chest.

'It's my choice. I want to go…I _have _to go. I…I love her so much…I can't let her suffer anymore.' He couldn't bring himself to say her name, even after all his training and a flicker of doubt passed over his mind. Zidane gripped his little sister's shoulders and pushed her away gently so he could see her tear streaked face. 'I won't die,' he said with a grin. 'I promise.'

She looked at him. She whispered: 'I know you wont. I just…I'm scared for you.'

He laughed. 'Don't be. I'll be fine.' More slowly, 'I have to go now, but I'll come back when it's over. And we'll have dinner on this bridge, okay?'

Tears leaked from her eyes again and she nodded.

Zidane got up and walked away, the snowy-white owl landing gracefully on his shoulder once more.

Mikoto stared after her two brothers and whispered, 'Goodbye,' to the wind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everything had been a blur at first. The flashing lights had done a good job of disorientating her and she was unsure at where she was, she was quite sure was no longer in her room. She could feel the air around her throbbing, like an enormous force was pushing against it. She could feel an immense pressure enforce strain upon every inch of her body and she found herself being pulled further up into the air by her amulet. It made her back arch and her legs and arms dangle immobile downwards. She felt both heavy and light at once.

The whiteness that had surrounded her dissipated and she found herself floating with no restraints except thin air over her castle. Sweat began to pour over her and a series of strangled sobs erupted from her as she turned her head to face the sky and squeezed her brown eyes shut. She couldn't even scream. _I'm going to fall! Oh please gods don't let me fall!_

The crystal on her necklace began to glow and cast a pale blue light around her. It pulsed in a sequence that picked up speed. She could physically feel each wave it released sweeping across her body and fluttering her hair and clothes. Opening her eyes she saw ominous clouds form and roll at a terrifying speed from all directions, gathering above Alexandria. They were black as coal and seemed to have a life of their own, curling and twisting, layering over one another like fighting animals, letting the claps of thunder rumble angrily through their bodies and letting the sudden flashes of lightening streak down to the ground, there and then not, like a serpents tongue flickering in and out of its mouth. They cloaked Alexandria in darkness, as if it were night.

The rain came then, unlike any rain she had ever seen. The drops of water were the size of a baby's fist and made an indomitable uproar as they hit roofs, streets and people alike. She could hear screams of surprise below. She closed her eyes as the drops hit her face with alarming force. In a few seconds she was drenched, her cream dress sticking to her body and her long hair flailing wetly behind her. She had never felt so helpless in all her life.

The Falcon Claw, which pulsed faster than a heartbeat, wrenched so violently that Garnet thought her neck might snap, and as she thought that a concentrated beam of blue light exploded from the crystal, reaching its one, long finger up into the thunderclouds. The sheer force of this ray slowly pushed Garnet to the ground. Now she found herself in the main square of Alexandria, but she could not stand because of the pressure the beam was applying to her body. The feeling of helplessness continued as she lay with her back on the soaked cobbles and opened her eyes slightly to look up at the bruised clouds above.

'My Lady!'

She heard it only faintly through the incessant hum the beam was emitting and the clattering of rain upon the surfaces. She turned her head very slightly and saw her general, mouth agape but eyes focused and ready for anything.

'Bea-' she tried to reply but her throat was dry and her face was dumb.

'My Lady,' Garnet heard her yell. She was just a few feet away from her. 'I…I…' She was at a loss. 'What shall I do?'

_It's too late_, Garnet thought, _there's nothing you can do…but…_

She mustered her strength. 'S-save…people…and… y-your…self…!'

Beatrix looked stunned and adamant all at once. 'I will not leave you!'

_Even after everything I put her through…she stays with me_. Tears pricked Garnet's eyes. 'Go!'

She could make out the silhouettes of people now; gray and hazy in the rain, white faces eerily peering at her in fear and confusion. They were her people; she could not let them die! They must live!

'Go!' she cried as loud as she could again. She could feel the pressure of the beam increasing. It wouldn't be long now. 'Go! Go!'

Beatrix gave her one last look and turned to the crowd of Alexandrians and started shouting things at them Garnet couldn't hear. They scattered hurriedly and she found herself alone in the cobbled square being hailed with monstrous raindrops and deafened by unpredictable claps of thunder.

Finally, the inevitable happened. The beam above shivered as if it had been struck. It crackled and snapped loudly, the blue ray became jagged and sparks flew from the quivering line, it looked like it was electric. Then with one final shudder it expanded suddenly and at an alarming rate, cutting through the ebony clouds and sheet of rain. A blue oval now dominated the whole of Alexandria, it was the length and width of the castle but very flat and it shimmered very gently, it was like looking into the ocean.

Garnet gasped abruptly as the portal disconnected itself from her necklace and hovered inches from her chest. She slid herself slowly free of it and scrambled to her feet. Standing before the magnificent portal she felt very insignificant and full of dread; she knew what was to come out of it.

Frozen suddenly to the spot, she faced a dilemma; did she stay and fight these beasts; or run and try to reach a safety and aid the citizens of Alexandria? Both options seemed to lead her down the road of failure but just as she was about to choose the latter the window rippled and a giant claw swooped down and grabbed her tiny form and pulled her into the portal, not even giving her time to scream.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They had heard the crackle and snapping, seen the pale blue beam expand and seen the ripple but they had not witnessed the massive claw. Nor did they know where Garnet was. Momentarily they were struck stupid by the sheer size of the portal and disorientated by the amount of Alexandrians screaming and swarming around them, desperately trying to get away from the azure window.

'We should go then,' the Dragon Knight suggested, brandishing her spear. 'If what Kuja said is correct, the monsters will soon flood out and we should protect the citizens in the area, perhaps even distract the Eidolons; make it easier for Zidane.'

Steiner adjusted his helm and unsheathed his sword glancing at Amarant who had just appeared from the haze of rain. 'Garnet should be near the portal as well.'

Silence.

'You shouldn't think of her,' Eiko said. She wore loose fitting clothes over solid armor; her purple hair was tied back, wisps of it rimming her face, 'She is probably insane by now, she was the one that summoned those things remember?'

Steiner looked at the cobbled street, now filling with puddles and listened to the noisy drumming of the rain against his armor.

'I know it's difficult,' the little mage comforted. 'But…now…that's Zidane's duty.'

'Then let's all hope he strong enough to destroy her,' Freya concluded and set off suddenly in a sprint down the street, spear pointed forward in a deadly fashion.

Eiko bounded off after her, flute in hand, equipped with the latest protective amulets and white magic. Amarant took another pathway to the portal, not even acknowledging his partners. Vivi looked up into to Steiner's eyes, whispered: 'Be strong. For Garnet.' Then disappeared into the sheets of metallic rain.

Steiner nodded to himself, perked up, gripped his sword and followed lead with courageous thoughts.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were as awesome as she had remembered. Monstrous and menacing they had appeared one by one from the portal, ripping through its magic boundaries and stepping with a colossus _thunk_ onto the street below, making the puddles spurt into the air.

Eiko was standing at the mouth of one of the numerous side streets that opened out into the square, now seeming tiny with the Eidolons dominating it. She had witnessed the first Eidolon appear, Ifrit, his rich brown fur fluttering in the wind as his foot seared through the cobalt window and shook the ground. He emerged fully then, pouncing onto the cobbles, immediately alert, scanning his surroundings with amber eyes, his mouth pulled back to bare his white fangs. It seemed to Eiko like he was grinning a grin she only saw in her nightmares.

And then, as if the god of fire had been a signal, hordes of monsters flooded out, crossing the boundaries of their world and entering Gaia, shrieking and screaming their wild cries that smeared into one terrifying and abysmal sound that made Eiko's stomach grind in revulsion and horror. Hundreds of feet drummed upon the slick ground, their eyes wide and angry. She recognized some: the blade-winged horse Amdusias, the thick shelled Adamantoise, the bulky form of Behemoth, Catoblepas with the twisted horns, Cerberus with its drooling fangs, the many eyed Malboro, the fiery Stilva, the –

But they were upon her now and she couldn't just watch anymore. She cast protect quickly upon herself and felt the auto-haste take control of her actions. She moved by them swiftly, looking for her compatriots. Eiko knew she was no match for these beasts alone, and it would be useless for her to even try and fight, but she knew that her white mage skills were far greater than her compatriots and they would need her healing skills desperately in a time like this.

She dodged a Stroper's moss-green tentacle and heard it rush over her head, looking up she saw the monstrous face of a shell dragon and rolled to the side, feeling the cool wetness of the rain soak into her clothes – not that it mattered, she was soaked from the incessant rain anyway.

_Woosh_

A Taharka swiped its armored tail at her. It managed to push her back into the Shell Dragons armored back but its attack power was mostly absorbed by her protect. The Shell dragon whirled on her just as the Taharkas floating form made a lunge for her. She threw herself beneath its belly and slid along the wet cobbles until a snake-like Ralvurahva slammed its thick tail before her face. She felt the earthquake and thought; _I should cast shell on myself_, just as the full impact hit her. She cried out and felt a large portion of energy drain away.

There was a clang and shriek. Eiko looked up and saw a bedraggled looking Steiner standing with his back to her, his sword raised, the blood of the Ralvurahva oozing down its blade.

She picked herself up and cast Curaga on them both, followed by Shell and Regen. She could hear Freya battling and screamed her name as loud as she could. It would be best if they fought together, they would be surrounded yes, but they were stronger fighting as group. Perhaps that was why Freya had moved closer to the pair.

Flicker: a bright flash. Another was coming.

Suddenly, the whole of her left seemed to dance and orange hues spilled over the ground. She glanced to the left while trying to defend herself from the Shell Dragon's monstrous bulk and saw a line of houses engulfed in flame. Ifrit stood among the raging fire and roared to the black clouds above.

_Not even the rain could put Ifrit's flame out,_ Eiko thought miserably.

Here is came now, quite quickly, unhesitant in what it…she had to do. Shiva. Her beautiful form gracing the sky with sparkles of ice, a frosty trail sweeping across the ground and Eiko jumped into the air to avoid it, watching as it crystallized the Dragon before her. She felt like laughing spitefully but another three monsters, all teeth and claws and fiery eyes, replaced it.

Freya and Amarant were with them now and Eiko found herself in the center of a small circle her friends had formed, there she cast Curaga every other round and Shell and Protect whenever she could, commanding them to jump occasionally whenever Shiva released another ice spell.

A cry made her look up and a Red Dragon was approaching from the sky, it's massive, black talons directed at her. She screamed in spite of herself and braced herself for the pain but instead she heard _it_ wail. It had been struck down by a ferocious lightening attack and suddenly Vivi was there. He joined the circle and gave Eiko a little wave before pummeling the surrounding beasts with elemental attacks that left them bewildered and weak.

Flash, flash: two at once?

Freya leapt into the air, waited only a moment, and then threw down her spear with deadly precision, wiping out a little ring of monsters that had been pushing persistently against their circle. High above she saw hundreds of them, bundling over to where the five of them stood battling. Occasionally there would be a knot of monsters in the square where an Alexandria soldier or two would be defending bravely.

She hit the floor again just as two more Eidolons emerged from the portal: Atomos, it's huge mouth gaping open like a bottomless pit, rimmed with jagged teeth, it was horrific, and Odin, its eight legged horse taking great strides across the city, his elongated sword ripping through houses and the streets.

_Oh gods_, Freya found herself thinking in despair as she ripped through another snarling beast. _They will destroy us all._

'We have to distract them!' the group heard Steiner cry. 'Before they annihilate the entire city!'

'We cannot – argh – destroy them!' Amarant argued amidst fighting.

Eiko cast another round of Curaga and threw another Ether at Vivi. 'No, but we can't keep this up forever! Let's just see if we can stop them from destroying the city!'

Leviathan flew from the portal at such an alarming rate it destroyed many of the monsters that stood in its path and crashed through several buildings. Ramuh came out soon after, his staff crackling and emitting immense amounts of electricity, making his white beard curl and shiver like octopus legs.

'I'll go after Ifrit and Shiva!' Vivi cried above the din and was about to leave when Eiko screamed about coming with him. He grabbed her armored arm and teleported them both to where the opposing elemental Eidolons were wrecking havoc amid an uproar of screaming.

Freya leapt above the monsters and, avoiding burning houses and taking care with the iced ones, jumped from roof to roof in the direction of Odin. Steiner looked after them for a moment then signaled for Amarant to go to Ramuh while he took care of the water serpent.

He thought of Beatrix suddenly, wondering fleetingly where she was, then ran into the crowd of snarling beast, sword ready, thinking, _Zidane, where are you?_

_IS THEIR SITUATION HOPELESS? WHERE EXACTLY **IS** ZIDANE:looks at next chapter: WHY IS HE THERE? You will know soon…Will the Eidolon possess Zidane? WHAT IF HE DIES? Sorry this chapter was a little disjointed. Please review…please? PLEASE! _

_Oh yeah, and guess who saw Green Day live at the weekend...? ME! GREEN DAY ROCK Y'ALL THEY WERE AMAZING! I HAVEN'T SLEPT BUT ITS WORTH IT!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about the delay…to cut a long story short, I couldn't access my files!**

**Replies**

**Beastiewolf - hehe. I'm glad I've created suspense! I hope its not killing people though! ; ) you should have reviewed earlier! I like to know what people think! I'm glad your enjoying it though!**

**Coalar Lee Drake - man you really hate Garnet don't you? She's actually one of the few FF girls I don't hate. I HATE Rinoa oh so much, and I HATE FFX Yuna. But she's okay in FFX-2… but Rinoa…oh Rinoa …:throws grenade at her:…anyway I'm glad you like ma story :Rinoa explodes: I like Steiner too! He makes me laugh, especially when he's with Zid! I also LOVE Ziddy/Mikoto fics too! They're so cute!**

**Maleyalla: He needs to be possessed because he wouldn't be able to get past the Eidolons otherwise! I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**Demon Surfer: I had my characters on auto-regen AND auto-haste AND auto-life! MWAHAHA! I was practically invincible:grins evilly:**

**Will Zidane's summoning be a success? Will the Eidolon's ever be stopped? Read and find out biatchs! Don't forget to review. It only takes a few seconds of your time! The battle for Gaia just keeps gettin' more an' more tense! Oh and the beginning paragraph matches up with my fanart. Go take a gander; the link is in my profile.**

**Chapter Ten**

_Grudges come back to haunt us  
__Your oldest allies are your long lost enemies  
__- Deadbeat Holiday, Green Day_

He stood on the outskirts of the burning city, watching the giants move among it through opaque eyes that portrayed no emotion. In one hand he clutched the amulet, and his other was curled into a ball, resting in front of his chest, Kuja perched on his wrist. He wore no armor, only his black trouser and stained shirt. His jaw was set on edge, his stance firm and determined, for all those who were fleeing by his form they thought he was some kind of god, untouchable and unmovable.

The exquisite owl ruffled its feathers and turned its flat face to Zidanes. 'It is time.'

He flew away then in a flurry of ashen feathers into the darkness and the Genome stood alone on the deserted hill. He did not feel the rain bash against his bare skin. He did not hear the angry bellowing of thunder. He did not see the flickering flames or the forked lightening. He did not experience emotions of love or fear or hate. He had surpassed the normal functions of a mortal now. He was empty, a vessel, emotionless, with nothing but a perpetual gaze adorning his features. Fearlessly, he lifted the silver amulet dominated by a crimson jewel up to the sky as if making a final offering for the gods and cried, 'Hear me, ye who possesses immortal power, your master speaks. Come to me, ye of only spirit and soul. Possess me; make me strong to endure the catastrophic forces your brothers wield, I command you. Come forth and show me your power, show me your strength! I call upon ye in thy time of need! Release yourself! Amias, come forth!'

A bright light and then…and then…

xxx

Darkness. Utter darkness. It wasn't like the darkness of night, or the darkness of a deep pit, or the darkness of space, for even those possessed some amount of depth. This was _Pure Darkness. _It was thick and swallowed him whole. It was an unchanging beast, crushing and obtrusive, blacking out everything, every drop of light, every splash of color. Its thick arms wrapped themselves around his tiny body, lost within this space of darkness.

Yet he was not afraid. He could not be afraid. Any sign of weakness and the Eidolon would crush his tender soul like crushing a ripened fruit. He focused intently on what he wanted to do. Went through his plan in his mind over and over and over – staying focused, staying _in control. _In this place, which could hardly even be called a place, he was blind, deaf and dumb. He was detached from his body; he was a singular entity drifting in an endless space with just a tiny thought keeping him together, keeping him in control.

Yet he felt completely liberated. There were no sounds, no heartbeat, no touch, no pain, no sadness, no loss, no love, no breath. And he kept focused. If he lost himself now there would be no second chances.

Then it came into him, quite abruptly, and leaked into his veins, pumping strongly around him, entering his heart and lungs, filling him with an overwhelming sense of…_power._

Zidane came alive suddenly. His eyes opened very sharply and they were very wide and completely white, his pupils an iris' disappeared, yet he could see quite clearly. He gasped then as the power pulsed stronger than before and he felt another being stir within him, a rumbling like a distant earthquake in the back of his mind, he heard his Eidolon talking. It was a strange language that seemed to have no pauses, just long droning sentences. He understood every word of it and when he took a step forward the ground trembled in his wake and lightening bit the ground around him and the rain was averted from his body.

His strides were long and dream-like; his head was high and looking forward to where he wanted to go. He made a noise then; a release of pressure, and the voice was not his. It was a deep, bellowing sound emitted by Amias and he became acutely aware of his strength, of his soul beating as one with the Eidolons.

The person that was once Zidane entered Alexandria and the cobbled roads cracked beneath his feet and the houses trembled in fear of his approaching form. The clouds swirled in the sky above him, rotating around this immense power source that had accumulated from nowhere. The rain lashed down but bounced off the energy that he was emitting like confused insects. The monsters that swamped the streets in a heaving mass shrieked in fear and pushed themselves up against the surrounding walls.

But the Half Mortal paid them no heed; hardly saw them in fact. It saw the blinding light of the portal only, could feel its pulsing only, could hear its gentle hum only. Knew its objective only.

_It is time_, it thought impassively.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were angry and frustrated. Tiny human life forms darted around them like ants, hurling ineffective spells and feeble physical attacks at them with such a brutal determination it pushed the Eidolons past the line of annoyance. Their magnificent forms threw vigorous attacks at them in an attempt to stop the persistent mortals from aggravating them any longer. Fire, lightening, ice, water, gravity and swords rained down around them, mixing and fizzing with the oversized raindrops, hitting the ground with ear-splitting crackles and explosions. But the mortals were not destroyed and began their futile attempts again. Who were these people anyway?

It was while trying to stamp out these pests that the Eidolons felt a shiver run through them. A strange occurrence had appeared to the East and it bemused them slightly for they were certain that they sensed the aura of another Eidolon. But it was none that they knew; and the unfamiliar power signal unnerved them slightly.

Ifrit was the first to depart from his attempts at destroying the humans and he wandered curiously over in the direction of the fresh force that had materialized seemingly from nowhere. He leapt into a street where the monsters quavered before an oncoming form, where the streets were cracking and the houses quivered. But it surprised the fiery god to see just a tiny mortal walking indifferently along the cobbled road.

The Half Mortal stopped and stared at the giant beast, which snorted flames before its white eyes, and seemed to think with an unreadable expression pasted on its face.

Ifrit roared; a confrontation.

The Half Mortal raised a gloved hand and the Eidolon was blown from his feet by an incredible power wave, smashing through buildings and crushing citizens and monsters alike. The possessed human continued its slow journey toward the portal under the fuming stares of the other Eidolons.

Leviathan lurched towards it, sapphire eyes sparking dangerously, infuriated by the attack the Half Mortal had released on its brother. It's slender body curved in front of the possessed man with a thud and it hissed in its face, needle like teeth exposed and shining. A bolt of lightening hit the ground and in the moment of tension after, all that could be heard was the constant drumming of the rain.

The Half Mortal had stopped. Its head was slightly bowed, blonde hair falling in front of its face like a curtain, drenched and dripping. Its power ebbed incessantly. Then its face turned up and its white eyes stared at the water monster, it raised a gloved hand and its transient opponent was swept backwards like an old toy into the ring of houses beyond. Lightening crackled around the possessed man, drawn to the sudden display of energy.

Leviathan gave a long, mournful cry then fell still amongst the bed of rumble, consumed by a rising cloud of dust, unconscious but not dead.

The Half-Mortal continued its journey to the portal unperturbed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kuja watched this from a rooftop with a mixture of curious astonishment and fear lacing his expression. Drops of rain trickled down his back and dripped off the tips of his tail feathers. He shook himself distractedly, sending beads of water scattering in all directions.

Was this the power of the Eidolon that had inhabited the ancient jewel of summoning? It had taken control of his brother's body (and he was thankful that it had not destroyed him; his training had paid off) and had actually confronted and near-defeated two eidolons. Now he – though his brother could hardly be referred to as 'he' when inhabited by another being – walked on composed and collected beneath the bruised clouds, right under the very eyes of the other eidolons! For there was nothing they could now, perhaps they had accepted this beings incredible power?

_And yet…yes. I know now. Yes._

There was no fear in the other eidolon's eyes as they observed from a distance this implausible being's power. It was true, it was a magnificent sight to behold, this Half Mortal, its power was fantastic and unwavering, all consuming and compelling.

And Kuja thought: _It is not enough_.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vivi had witnessed the shift in focus the Eidolon Ifrit had displayed while he was fighting him. The fire god had shuddered, his coarse brown hair quivering like long grass in a high wind. His amber eyes had shifted to the West and then he was gone, leaping away leaving only the smell of sulfur and a collection small flames dancing round and round the little mage.

Vivi had pursued the fire god and had wondered briefly where the beasts had fled too…if they had fled at all. All he knew is that something had happened – a great disturbance in the Eidolon's plans – something that horrified even the mindless monsters that had roamed the city so ferociously only moments beforehand. But what could it be?

The black mage scuttled along slick streets, the rain beating heavily down on his tall hat and the thunder bellowing angrily above him. On either side of him doors had been ripped apart, hanging lamely off their hinges like rotting branches, and the empty sockets of these houses – the smashed windows – stared sorrowfully at him as he sprinted past.

Finally, he reached a wider road, and skidded to a stop at the mouth of alleyway he'd come from. He could hear Ifrit's rumbling growls and didn't want to be plain firing view. Cautiously, he peered around the corner and jumped in surprise.

_Zidane!_

At least…he thought it was Zidane. It looked like him but there was something…odd, something strangely different. He was standing confidently in the middle of the cobbled streets, the rain bouncing off some sort of invisible shield around his body. His hair hung limply in his expressionless face and he held himself quite differently to the way he usually did. Vivi could sense his enormous power levels and realized that the Eidolons could sense them too.

_Is he possessed by the Eidolon soul Mikoto told us about?_

As if to answer his question Zidane raised his hand and Ifrit was thrown backward by a tremendous force expelled from the Genome. Vivi followed the Eidolon with his eyes and watched the beast smash through houses upon houses before crashing to a halt unconscious.

_Zidane practically defeated the fire god by merely raising his hand!_

The mage looked back at his friend with wide eyes, watched as he began walking again. His pace was slow and his gait was determined yet seemingly clumsy, as if something was constantly giving him directions because he wasn't sure where to go.

As the Genome passed him by without a glance Vivi came to the conclusion that Zidane was definitely possessed.

He startled slightly as Leviathan crashed to the ground and blocked Zidane's path, yet as before, the Genome had no trouble clearing the way and left yet another Eidolon unconscious amid a heap of rubble.

_Wow._

Vivi trotted cautiously along behind the Genome as he wandered down the streets toward the shimmering portal. The mage noted the Eidolons stares filled with mixture of apprehension, hate and anger. He wondered if they would attack, wondered if they would continue destroying the city, hoped they would stop their plan.

But it was too much to ask, and before he had even attempted getting his hopes up the Eidolons resumed their destruction, leaving a path of dead and obliterated buildings in their wake. Yet Vivi thought something was strange. He had sensed a sort of wave pass through the air and it seemed that the Eidolons had sensed it too. Yet they had reacted to it differently, as if they understood it…as if it meant something. Was there a ringleader among this chaos? Was it Garnet? Did she send them a signal to resume fighting? Vivi didn't know she could even do such a thing! And something within him - call it instinct - doubted she could. There was a bigger part of this plan, he was sure.

_I must warn Zidane!_

They had reached the square now, where the blue window pulsed energy continuously. The monsters that swarmed from its gaping mouth sniffed the air and moved aside swiftly when sensing Zidane - or the Eidolon that was in Zidane…Vivi wasn't sure. Either way, he was glad he didn't have to take on these hordes of monsters while the Genome was around.

Swallowing his doubts and accumulating his courage in a place he could reach, he ran in front of the blonde and held his hands out. 'Stop! Wait a minute!'

The Genome stopped and Vivi saw for the first time his eyes. They were pure white, iris and pupil-less, they stopped Vivi in his tracks and for a moment his words got caught in his throat.

'Z-Z-Zidane! W-wait a s-second…um…I t-think that…'

_'Do you block my path, magic man?' _

Vivi let out a little cry. Zidane's voice was distorted, merged with another booming voice…a voice that possessed infinite power. The voice was strong and compelling and rumbled through Vivi's body, inducing fear in every sense and nerve of his being. Yet the fact that Zidane's normal voice, though pale in comparison, could be discerned through this magnificent, inhuman bellowing, encouraged Vivi.

'Y-yes,' he squeaked, then added hastily, 'b-but not in a bad way! I want to warn you -'

_'I need no warning_!' the thing inside Zidane roared.

'Y-yes, I'm sure you don't but…I want to say that…um…I think there's something more than you thought in there! I think something bigger and more powerful is commanding the Eidolons! I felt a power wave emit from the portal and I think it was a signal-'

_'It does not matter_.'

'Wh-what? What do you-'

_'Move, magic man._'

'But I-'

_'Move!_'

The possessed Zidane flicked his wrist and Vivi was thrown across square, hitting a mountain of flaming rumble. The mage's vision blurred and lights danced before his eyes. Began an inner battle with fighting the comforting darkness of becoming unconscious.

Then suddenly a greenish-bluish glow exploded around the little mage and his first thought was that the portal had detonated, yet when no sound came he presumed he was dead, but when he heard a feminine voice shriek, 'Master Vivi!' he knew at once what was happening.

He clambered over the rumble onto his feet and brushed off his front. 'Thanks for the Curaga General Beatrix.'

The beautiful general flicked her brown locks behind her shoulder. Her clothes were ripped and singed; her armor was dented and rendered practically useless. A nasty cut streaked down her arm like a lightening bolt, the blood spewing from it mixing with the rain and pooling onto the cobbled ground.

Vivi quickly ripped off a strip of material from his coat and handed it to her. 'Use this as a bandage before you lose too much-'

'What's he doing?' she cried, looking at Zidane. 'He's not going in there is he?'

Vivi wrapped the makeshift bandage around her damaged arm, glad that the monsters had fled the square. 'There's no time to explain, all you have to know is that he's our last hope.'

'Where's the queen?' Beatrix cried her eyes betraying her terror. 'She was beneath the portal last I was here! I-I've come back to save her! WHERE IS SHE?'

'C-calm down!' Beatrix's panic was infecting Vivi. 'Wh-what do you mean save her? She was the one that summoned the Eidolons in the first place!'

The rain battered the couple and the lightening licked the ground suddenly on the other side of the square, possibly attracted by the Half Mortals immense power levels. It was slowly making its way to the portal.

_Strange how the Eidolons are making no attempt to stop him_, Vivi considered absently before Beatrix reached down and grabbed his little shoulders.

'Master Vivi you don't understand! She is well and fine now! They manipulated her power and practically summoned themselves! She is not insane!'

Vivi thought he was going to be sick. 'B-but Zidane is going to kill her! He thinks she's insane! He thinks…oh gosh…'

'WE MUST TELL HIM!'

But it was too late. The couple turned just in time to see the possessed Genome disappear through the azure window, on his way to kill the only woman he'd ever loved.

**Noooo come back Zidane! What now then? What waits through the portal for him? Are Vivi's instincts right? Let's hope for Zidane's sake they're not…but hell, if they were wrong, there'd be no story would there?**

**:hugs Mikoto and laughs evilly for no reason:**

**Sorry if it's confusing you by me referring to Zid as 'it'. It's just that he's hardly human anymore so calling him 'he/his/him' just wouldn't fit! It makes him seem more powerful as well, I think.**

**:pats kuja-owl on head and gives him mouse:**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	11. Chapter 11

_(sob…(sob)….my computer went berserk and…and…(sob)…I lost chapter thirteen…THAT TOOK ME SOOO LONG TO WRITE! So now I have to redo it…so unfair…(sob)…_

_Enjoy this chapter anyway. As much as you can enjoy this sort of chapter MWAHAHA_

**Chapter eleven  
****'You're the sweet crusader  
****And you're on your way  
****You're the last great innocent  
****And that's why I love you.'  
****Mary Jane – Alanis Morriset**te

The sky was a brilliant blood red, the blackest of clouds streaked across it bleakly, like the fingers of darkness. These clouds skidded across the red arch so fast it appeared as if the entire world was moving. The ground was a dust bowl of ash, cracked and infertile, a desolate desert of ebony land. From some of these cracks, great fountains of steam spurted into the air, releasing a heavy hissing sound as it did so.

This wasteland stretched on forever it seemed, and crossing its expanse were hordes of monsters, screaming and wailing, their bodies' writhing to reach the glowing portal; surging together in a phalanx to escape this hell. Some weren't so lucky, and their stinking corpses littered the ground, along with a handful of skeletons, their ivory bones poking out at oblique angles from the dust.

Yet in the distance, rimming the lip of the horizon, a light could be seen. It pulsated in bright blue hues, never fading, incessant. The black clouds circulated around this beam of light, yet as black and heavy as these clouds were, not a drop of rain fell from their heights. Not a single blinding flash of lightening hit the ground, nor did the angry growling of thunder bellow from their depths. It was as if they were just for show.

However, the thing that had just slipped through the bright azure window hardly saw these things. Its eyes were white and its head was bowed, but it acutely aware of the light that pulsated in front of it. That was its goal, the place where the fate of this world and the next would be determined.

The Half Mortal began its journey across the Land of Eidolons, each footstep thudding on the ash ground. It looked as if the entire world had been consumed in a blaze that had demolished everything its fiery grip touched.

The monsters that surrounded it fled screaming into the darkness. No sun adorned the sky and blessed the earth with its warm rays. There was only a dead lump in the heavens, hanging like a broken and ugly decoration on a Christmas tree. Maybe it once had given warmth to the inhabitants of this ghastly planet. But now the world was forever cast in the eerie shadows of this dead sun.

The Half Mortal arrived at the source of the light and looked up. Obsidian steps curled up around a black column to a platform high above the dead ground. On this plateau, the Half Mortal could make out a jet-black throne constructed of thorns, twisting and curling up into the sky like a mangled beast.

Upon its seat sat a female the Eidolon Amias did not recognize, yet it knew that she was its target; the very thing it had to destroy to end its brother's reign.

It placed a foot on the first step and was knocked off its feet.

'Who dares approach the Divine Summoner?' a voice as deep as the rumbling of an earthquake bellowed into the sky.

The Half Mortal looked up and saw the King of Dragons, Bahamut, and the Holy Mechanical Being Alexander looming over it, appearing from nowhere it seemed. They now stood like statues on either side of thorny structure.

Strangely Amias remembered back to the words the magic man had spoken earlier. _I think something bigger and more powerful is controlling the Eidolons! _

'Speak, tiny being,' Alexander stated crisply.

'I am Amias,' the distorted voice of Zidane and Amias proclaimed, 'I am the Eidolon of Death. I bid my masters will and come hither to cease your selfish reign.'

The mighty dragon unfurled his wings and beat them once, as if to display his power. 'You are not Amias! Amias was destroyed many eons ago on the planet Gaia, trapped within the Cave of Death, sealed by his own Summoner.'

'I am Amias,' the Half Mortal repeated. 'You shall let me pass, brothers.'

Alexander's beautiful wings shuddered slightly, and it loomed over the Genome, seemingly inspecting him. 'No Bahamut, I believe he speaks truth. True, Amias' body may have perished long ago, but it is possible that his soul could have become crystallized within an Eidolon Amulet.'

Bahamut squinted thoughtfully, it's thick jaws clenched shut. It crossed its armored arms over its barrel chest. 'Doth Alexander speak truth, you who claim to be Amias?'

'I possess this mortals body to carry out his will. It is he who claimed possession of my trapped soul.'

'So it is true then!' Alexander boomed. 'Yet we shall not let you pass brother, and you have no chance against us with only a tiny mortals body as your weapon!'

'You have been given another chance to live, brother,' Bahamut thundered, 'and now we shall give you one. Leave now and we shall spare your granted life. Or join us and seek revenge on those who enslaved and betrayed us.'

The Half Mortal remained motionless, as the Eidolon was silent for a moment. Then it said, 'I shall not join you, for your souls are now impure, diseased by bitterness and lust for revenge. The mortals protected us, gave us a small freedom to be summoned from this land, we fought with them as they fought with us, they granted us a chance to use our power to its potential.

'But times have moved on. There is no need for us anymore. We should accept death gracefully; we have served our purpose in this life and must move onto the next. The Summoners are few now; their villages are no more. The danger of their planet no longer exists, therefore we no longer exist.'

The King of Dragons roared and steam shot from the mechanical stumps of Alexander's feet.

'What you claim is preposterous!' Bahamut cried in rage.

'How can you proclaim such nonsense?' Alexander took a massive step forward toward the Half Mortal, but it did not budge. 'The mortals and Summoners alike must pay for their ignorance toward our kind!'

'Our kind,' the Eidolon's soul said coolly, 'is dead. But I see it is too late to change your opinions, for all of you are overruled with fear and hate. Fear for death, hate for yourselves. I am Death. I do not fear what I create. I accept it with open arms, as you should.'

'SILENCE! You are no brother of ours! Your words are foul and twisted! The mortal rids you of rational thinking!'

'No. The mortal has made me see so much. They are far stronger than all of us put together.'

Alexander laughed maliciously. 'You say these insignificant forms possess more power than us?'

The Half Mortal shook its head sadly. 'You judge only by power and strength. I have seen inside this one. I see he holds more determination and will than any of us. He is willing to sacrifice his very life and the one he loves to save others; this is one of the reasons why I possessed him.'

'Fool! What rubbish you speak!'

'We shall never let you disrupt our plans! You say you wish for death? Then we will serve it to you on a silver platter! Alexander, let us dispose of this vile creature!'

True, the Half Mortal had the two strongest Eidolons lunging toward it at once, and true, it had a body that paled in both size and strength compared to the Eidolons, but it was no fool. The couple underestimated it and was surprised when the tiny being shot from where it stood with amazing speed and agility and sprinted up the obsidian stairway.

Amias knew what he was doing.

Bahamut roared in disgust and black balls of fire shot from its fang-rimmed mouth. They exploded around the Half Mortal and it wobbled unsteadily, weaving in and out them, feeling their hotness singe its fair skin.

Up, up, up.

Alexander concentrated a beam of the magic Holy, and it trailed after the possessed Genome, burning a thin line through stairs. It made a sharp humming sound and the Half Mortal could hear it getting closer and closer.

Up, up, up!

It leaned forward to go faster, could feel the heat of the beam now as it neared it. The tip of the beam scorched its tail, yet it was all right because the Half Mortal skidded round a corner and the beam exploded on the obsidian column. It shook the possessed man almost to the point where he fell off the side, but thanks to its tail, it regained its balance and continued…

Up! Up! Up!

The King of Dragons released a physical assault, and smashed into the stairs in front of the Half Mortal. They shattered and fragments of the steps tumbled to the level below. Bahamut's black, curling claw rose and came down again, missing the Eidolon's temporary body by inches. Amias praised the mortal's agile body and quick reflexes.

Jump!

The Half Mortal landed unscathed on the opposite side of the stairwell after leaping with amazing skill over the chasm the dragon had created. It slipped a little then continued its ascent with the dragon's infuriated roars echoing in its head.

Yet it knew it was close now because now it could hear a high-pitched screaming emitting from nearby.

One more corner! One more corner and then -

Alexander's Holy Beam hit the Half Mortal dead on and threw it off its feet over the edge of the staircase. The coal-black column whistled by it as it descended.

Down, down, down.

Stairs became a blur and the possessed man reached out and groped the air wildly until a cool, solid surface pressed against the palm of its gloved hand. It hung suspended many feet above the ground, dangling like an earring from the columns staircase.

'Overconfidence is not a virtue,' Alexander lectured snidely. 'And now you will pay for your earlier words.'

Bahamut reared his right arm back and the Half Mortal watched helplessly as the claw came screeching down toward it. The blow was direct and brutal and it found itself flying through the air again.

It hit the dead ground so hard it bounced slightly and rolled over and over. It coughed up the black soot and tried to raise its body up again to fight. Bahamut pressed his clawed foot against its back and pressed down, crushing the Half Mortal against the ebony earth. It cried out in pain and blood trickled from its mouth as it was compressed to the ground. The Eidolon's could felt no pain; how could it? Yet the mortal was being put through an excruciating trial of hurt.

Bahanmut's laugh bellowed loudly across the reddened sky. The lifeless orb of the sun stared grimly down at the scene. 'What was that you said, Amias? 'They are far stronger than all of us put together'? your attempts have been futile! You have given up everything, life, power, revenge, and now all you have left for you is death!'

The mortal screamed out again as the King of Dragons pushed harder down on its tiny body. Wounds reopened and fresh ones seared into its skin. Blood soaked the ground and many of its brittle ribs snapped like twigs under the pressure. It was so great it could not even think properly, let alone try to escape.

But Bahamut had not finished yet. It bent low and scooped the broken Half Mortal up in its claw. 'I want to see you suffer, traitor,' he hissed into its face.

The Half Mortal opened its white eyes and looked up into the face of the dragon, up into its amber eyes.

'Wh-what…h-has…h-happen…happened…t-to… y-you… b-brother…?' it wheezed.

'Realization!' Alexander bellowed triumphantly. 'From this day we are slaves no more! We are kings!'

'No! We are more than that! We are gods!'

The Half Mortal managed a little laugh. 'Y-you are…nothing…but f-fools!' it spat before coughing up blood. 'W-we…must…a-all…face…d-death…s-sometime…'

Bahamut crushed its little body with its talons. It cried out in pain. 'How can you display such impotence when put in such a situation so unruly to your favor?'

'Do you not see?' Alexander cried. 'We have won already! By the next sunrise Gaia will be demolished and we shall reign supreme! You are the fool for not joining us when you hand the chance brother.'

'Y-you s-shall…meet…y-your…doom…by…t-this m-mortal…' Amias spluttered, blood pouring from its dissipated body.

Bahamut bellowed. 'But we have met our final triumph courtesy to a mortal! The idiot Summoner was so easily manipulated by simple words of false reassurance. How stupid mortals are! And look,' Bahamut swooped down over the woman who sat upon the throne. 'at what he idiocy has lead to! An eternity of enslavement; just as you did to us!'

The Half Mortal opened its eyes.

'How hilarious it is,' Alexander added, 'that she was blinded by her loneliness therefore was obliged to aid us, yet now she faces an eternity of being completely alone because she aided us!'

They roared with laughter but little did they know it was too late.

The Half Mortal stared right into the face of the Queen of Alexandria. The possessed man began to glow in Bahamut's hand. It grew brighter and brighter until the dragon and machine ceased their laughter.

'What is this sorcery?' Alexander screamed with distaste.

Amias chuckled through his pain. 'It is Trance. You fell right into my trap.'

'WHAT?'

The Half Mortal pried Bahamut's finger away from around its beaten body and leapt deftly into the platform below.

'But this is not any kind of Trance, brothers,' it said, and raised the amulet. 'Now you shall meet Death!' the light grew blinding, yet now it emitted from the amulet. 'I use this mortals body to summon myself!'

And now in Zidane's voice, it cried, 'Amias, come forth!'

_Okay there you go. This chapter was actually quite fun to write! I hope you understand fully now why Zid had to be possessed …._

_Replies (almost forgot hehe)_

_Rose mage: I'm glad you like my work! It's nice to be appreciated! _

_Beastie worl: now I'm burning people with my suspense? I MUST STOP HURTING PEOPLE LIKE THIS!_

_Xnoeleex: oooh! New reader! Hallo! Hope you're enjoying it so far!_

_Samy-chan: another new reader! YAY! Hey, I read one of your stories the other day…it was really good but I really can't remember which one it was! ;;;…I remember liking it though so don't worry!_

_Coalar Lee Drake: Garnet got slightly hurt in this chap…I hope that made you happy! Hehe._

_PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE!_


	12. Chapter 12

**You get to find out a little more about Amias (my made up Eidolon) in this chapter. This twist in the plot was unexpected even to me. It just sort of…appeared on the screen as I typed. I only loosely plan my stories anyway. ENJOY AND REVIEW!**

**Chapter twelve**

**"Cowards die many times before their deaths;  
the valiant never taste of death but once."**

**- William Shakespeare**

The male Genome found himself resting face down on a cold, hard surface. His whole body was wracked with a pain he had never experienced in his life, so he made no attempt to move. His head was swimming and he squeezed his eyes shut.

_Where am I?_ he thought through a haze. _The last thing I remember was standing outside Alexandria…and summoning Amias…but…what happened after that? Am I dead?_

'WHAT IS THIS?' an incredibly powerful voice boomed above him, easily snapping him out of his detached state.

Carefully, he lifted his head and looked up.

_WHERE THE HELL AM I?_ a voice screamed inside his head. _I-is this…Gaia? No! I-it can't be…!_

The land was black as night and the sky was a poisonous red that held a jet sun, lifeless and ugly, in its expansive hand. He realized he was on some sort of plateau, far above the ground; the remnants of a winding staircase curled around it like a constrictor.

But he realized abruptly that this couldn't be Gaia, surely not, because around him stood the three most magnificent Eidolons he had ever set eyes on. One was all too familiar for his liking, Bahamut, the King of Dragons. His massive, armored body hovered heavily in the sky, beating his powerful wings that sent dust skimming across the ground below.

And there was Alexander! The one who had defeated Bahamut ten years ago. Its gigantic wings were spread in a hostile manner and great pillars of steam billowed from various parts of its mechanical body.

Both were facing an Eidolon Zidane did not recognize but knew all too well. It was a colossal beast, reaching up to half of Alexander's height. It crouched on its eight legs; its snout was long and cruel, rimmed with razor fangs that dripped with green saliva. The beast's four eyes, red as lava, burned into the other two Eidolons. From the middle back its body was armored with a scaly tan hide, yet the entire front of its body was carpeted with a thick layer of fur, of the richest of blacks. It's crocodile looking tail swept the ground menacingly.

Amias.

'What is going on?' Alexander boomed, causing Zidane to cover his ears.

Amias laughed wryly. 'I…am not dead. I told you, I am the Eidolon of Death. My reason for being is to destroy my brothers. My Summoner did not seal me; the most ancient of Eidolons sealed me, because they feared me. They trapped my body away in the deepest recesses of space and time, and enslaved my soul to the amulet until one worthy enough to set me free would claim it.'

Zidane could hardly believe his ears! Kuja had been wrong! Amias had used Zidane to get to the other Eidolons to fulfill his destiny!

'Now my brothers,' Amias snarled, 'what were you saying about…wanting to watch me suffer?'

He leapt into the air, casting a long shadow over the Genome and the wasteland. Bahamut seared away, diving to the left, while Alexander stood its ground; no physical attack could hurt the mammoth machine. Skidding across the ground, Amias turned and leapt again at the Dragon King snarling wildly.

'Z-Zidane…Zid..?'

Amias snapped onto the dragon in mid air, who began howling manically, tossing and turning in a vein attempt to throw the beast off, for Amias had latched firmly onto the dragons arm. _Crunch!_ It came away in the Eidolon's mouth and black blood gushed to the floor. Bahamut screamed in furious agony.

Zidane turned his head, still unable to move his body, toward the voice that had just rung out across the platform.

Alexander aimed a Holy Beam at the eight-legged Eidolon, but it bounced harmlessly off its scaly hide. Amias ignored its attempt and continued its struggle with the dragon King. But he was caught off guard, and before he knew what had hit him Bahamut's tail had knocked him off his many feet and across the darkened landscape.

Zidane looked across the obsidian platform and couldn't believe it. _I…must be…it can't be? Can it? Am I imagining this?_

Amias rose quickly to his feet before Bahamut could gain any ground and tore through the air again, using its powerful back legs to propel him off the ground. Bahamut opened its mouth and black flames ripped through the air. The black furred beast merely knocked them aside with its elegant snout and hit the dragon dead on his chest, knocking him from the sky. The King was now pinned against the dusty floor.

'Z-Zidane…I…'

'THIS IS THE END FOR YOU, KING OF DRAGONS!' Amias screamed into his face.

'Garnet…G-Garnet?' Zidane staggered to his feet, never taking his eyes off the figure that crowned the throne. He flinched as the pain ripped through his senses and coughed up more blood. One foot over another, slowly, slowly, he made his way toward the seat of thorns. Crimson blood gushed from various cuts and he thought he might just fall to pieces.

But he didn't care.

'ALEXANDER, HELP ME!' the dragon screamed, terrified now as Amias raised its clawed paw.

Amias laughed. 'It is too late, brother, no one can help you now!'

'Help me Zidane!' the dark haired woman pleaded to the Genome.

'I-is that…you…Garnet?'

Zidane hardly recognized her. Her dark hair was a tangled mess, entwined with the long black thorns that bordered her body. Her face was drawn and her brown eyes were sunken. Her shriveled limbs were cut and bleeding, some thorns were even piercing her skin.

But he was too overwhelmed. Tears ran freely down his bruised face. He wiped the blood from his lips, leaned forward - no longer feeling the pain in that blissful moment- and kissed her.

The paw came down and Bahamut was decapitated. Its scaly body now a lifeless lump beneath the Eidolon of Death.

'You see the fate you have dug yourself, Alexander?' Amias roared triumphantly. 'You shall face the same endless destiny as he, now!'

'You cannot defeat me,' Alexander cried. 'I am not of blood and flesh; your physical attacks are futile! This will be your last day.'

Zidane broke the kiss. 'Y-your alive…a-are you…?'

She looked at him desperately then, tears streamed down her cheeks. She tried to pull forward but the thorns cut deeper into her skin. 'Zidane, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for everything! I never meant it to go this far…I never meant for anything to happen at all! Please forgive me Zidane! Oh let the world forgive me!'

Zidane shook his head, absently wiped the blood that trickled from his forehead into his eyes away. 'You're not the one who should be sorry. I should be the one to ask for your forgiveness, Garnet. I left you too many times to count without ever thinking of your feelings. I'm an idiot. I deserve to die; you don't.'

'Don't say that!' she cried, then calmed a little. 'We both have wronged each other. If we are blessed with another chance…then…I…I…' Her chocolate-brown eyes brimmed with tears again.

The sight was unbearable. Zidane leaned forward and kissed her again. 'Don't…Everything's okay now…as long as we're together again.'

Alexander, who had been summoning his energy while Amias and the defeated Bahamut had been battling, released an abysmal Holy Judgment attack on the Eidolon of Death. The white light burned in the sky and the column and staircase shook violently as it hit Amias dead on and exploded. Even the houses through the portal in Alexandria quivered from the aftershock.

Zidane tore himself away from his trapped wife to look disbelievingly at the colossus dust cloud that was forming in front of him. His world was blacked out and he put a hand over his mouth so the dust wouldn't get in. _No! No! This can't be! Amias was our last hope! He can't be -_

'DEAD!' Alexander boomed. 'I have destroyed the destroyer! Now our plans will prevail, even if I must rule alone, it will make little difference to the outcome! I am now the new Eidolon of Death and -'

'Not quite.'

A burst of laughter erupted from Zidane's mouth as the clearing dust cloud revealed an unscathed Amias.

'I told you; I am Death. I must fulfill my purpose, and I shall not die until I do it!'

'Zid…Zidane?' Garnet's voice whimpered behind the Genome. 'What's happening? Is that an Eidolon?'

For the first time in many months Zidane snapped back to reality. He had been so overcome with seeing his wife well again that he had forgotten what he was there to do. He was meant to destroy her, for she was the source of their power.

He looked at her pleading eyes, her desperate expression, and remembered her willingness to begin again.

She was not possessed any longer! How could he do it? He would not have to do it, surely? If she no longer governed them then killing her would make no difference. But…if Amias failed… the Eidolons would reign supreme and continue using Garnet as a weapon to keep the portal open… he would have to…

_Amias, you must win!_

Amias was quivering very slightly. Two of his four eyes were closed and his tail lay motionless on the floor that had become cratered from Alexander's attack. The mechanical Eidolon seemed taken aback by its invulnerability and was standing there at a loss of what to do. The eight-legged beast began to glow a grass green as it summoned a powerful aura.

Zidane turned alarmed to his wife. 'I must get you out!'

He unsheathed his dagger and began to lash trough her thorny throne at a terrifying speed. The black vines fell away from her visage and she grimaced in pain as they were torn from her flesh.

Once her arms were free Zidane clutched them tentively and looked into her eyes. 'This is really going to hurt,' he said softly.

He gripped his wife's hands a little tighter and pulled her to her feet. She released an agonizing scream as the thorns that were lodged into her back and legs slid free revealing asymmetrical holes that spewed blood thickly. She collapsed into his arms, but he found he was too weak to hold her and they fell to the floor together.

'THIS WILL BE THE DESTRUCTION OF YOU!' Amias screamed as his aura increased.

Panicking, Alexander desperately released a Holy Beam but it relflected uselessly off the incredible beast before him.

'I PRESENT TO YOU MY FINAL ATTACK,' it cried, and Zidane heard distantly in his head, **This is all I can give you, mortal, I'm sorry.**

W_h-what did it mean by that?_

'END OF THE EIDOLONS!'

there was curious silent for a moment in which Zidane found himself wondering if he would wake up. But looking to his right he saw four massive black balls of magic shoot up from Amias' body into the red sky. They hissed as they flew, faster than anything he had ever seen, then as quickly as they rose, they shot to the ground.

He missed! He missed Alexander!

The black-furred beast then began to emit vigorous waves that slowly pushed Zidane and Garnet along the platform. After sweeping by them Zidane heard the sound of explosions in the far distant where the energy waves had come to a stop.

And all of a sudden Zidane realized what it was doing. It's not destroying Alexander specifically, it's destroying this entire planet! 'We have to leave now!' Zidane cried.

'Zid.' Her voice was strained. 'I…I can't move. I'm so…tired…it hurst so much… I just want to be with you. Nothing matters now, as long as we're together. Gaia is saved.'

'N-no! I wont give up!' He hauled himself to his feet, felt the pain rip through him and screamed, his chest felt weak from his broken ribs and as he tried to sustain both his and Garnet's weight, wounds ripped open and blood began to gush faster than ever. 'I WONT GIVE UP!' he screamed. 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you!' He took a step forward. 'I want to have my children with you!' He took another step forward. 'I want to never leave your side again!' He supported her around her waist. 'I WILL NOT DIE HERE YET!'

'Zidane…'

The man felt some of her weight lifted off him as she struggled to keep herself upright. 'I wont give up then either. Let's go home, Zid.'

Feeling the tears well up, he nodded and they began to limp down the obsidian steps together. Pulse wave after pulse wave came and structure shuddered. Zidane guessed that it wouldn't last for much longer, especially when he realized that the distant explosions were gradually getting closer. They had to reach the portal before the explosions did! But…he was just so…

'Zid, I'm so tired…' Garnet groaned and stumbled slightly.

'It's okay. Come on, we have to hurry.'

Amias released more black magic balls that rained around them. The entire earth shuddered and as pockets of earth were spewed up into the air, craters formed and filled with a viscous ebony liquid that the planet was vomiting up, as if it was its blood. The ground cracked and Alexander tipped slightly then crashed to the floor. The impact was immeasurable and - now painfully making their way across the dead land - Zidane and Dagger tumbled over.

The Queen of Alexandria stared up at the scarlet sky. The thin wafers of cloud were swirling around Amias, gathering in masses above the source of its power. Every part of her body ached and she could feel her blood pooling behind her back. In some places she could feel the stab of the thorns that were still imbedded within her. _Why go on? Why?_

Then the answer came to her. Him. Zidane's face blossomed in front of her. His cheeks were smeared with blood and tears and in his eyes the determination of a hundred men glistened brightly. She can't give up yet. Even though she was content with dying with the one she loved at her side right now, she knew it would be better to live with the one she loved.

So she raised her arms and encircled them around his neck. The Genome heaved her fragile form up and she supported both him and herself as steadily as she could. Garnet had witnessed the brutal assault her old Eidolon Bahamut had laid into him; and thought he would die for sure. He had put himself through all that to save her - to save Gaia. She could not give up yet!

Come on Amias… Zidane thought, glancing over his shoulder. Yet looking at him now, he realized something. His aura was steadily growing but the look on the beasts face was so distinct… _He's…not is he?…Oh gods…we have to hurry!_

'Garnet,' Zidane said breathlessly, 'I'm sorry but we have to move faster. Amias is about to release his ultimate attack. He's trying to hold it back until we're out of this world but I don't think he can stop himself much longer.'

The portal was so close, and yet it seemed miles away to the couple. And things only got worse.

Garnet tried to hurry but stars danced before her eyes and as hard as she tried to fight them off, blackness enveloped her and she passed out.

'No!' Zidane cried as she toppled over. The ground shook and he heard Alexander scream. _We don't have time! I…I have to… _

He carefully picked Garnet's unconscious form up and stumbled slightly. He was so weak he could hardly hold himself up let alone another person! He cried as pain tore through his arms and chest. He took a step forward but fell to his knees. _I can't…do…it…Garnet…I'm so sorry…_

Yet the gods must have been listening, for a savior came to him then. And it was in the form of an owl.

_**CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? You know what REALLY pisses me off? Is when people read my stuff and don't review! Some of you people out there have even put this story in your favourites…and haven't bothered to review! PLEASE REVIEW! It only takes a moment of your time and it compels me to continue to write! Without you THERE WOULD BE NO STORY! Okay, I'm done ranting now (smiles innocently).**_

_Sorry about another short chapter! But I don't want to cram everything in, you know? I have to admit I REALLY enjoyed writing this chapter. I just love putting my characters through pain! Lol. Accept Mikoto. Mikoto should never be put through pain. Ever. Ahem…anyway, next chapter coming up soon._

_R&R…EVERYONE (glare). What do you think is going to happen?_


	13. Chapter 13

**Replies:**

**Kawaii Kitsune Club: Yay new reviewer! Hallo:bows: Am glad you like story! **

**Tc chan: thank you! I try…sometimes…hehe. Am I really that good at creating suspense:looks at Malevalla who's choking and dying due to suspense:**

**Beastie wolf: oo yay another fanart! Send it to me if you do one!**

**Thanks to everyone else who reviewed too! **

**By the way, I think I must've mislead a few people 'cause this chapter ISN'T the last chapter. Though the next one is I'm pretty sure! **

**Chapter Thirteen  
****"Cowards die many times before their deaths;  
the valiant never taste of death but once."  
****- William Shakespeare**

When a leaf drifts down a fast moving stream, it has no influence on where it wants to go or what it wants to do, but is at the complete mercy of the ravaging currents that toss and turn it this wayand that until it reaches an inevitable fate.

Watching the city being picked apart, piece-by-piece, as if it were constructed of nothing more than toy bricks, Kuja felt somewhat how that leaf must feel.

Encased in a bird's body sometimes Kuja pondered upon the choice of body the gods had bestowed upon him. His brother could be dying, and how was he to help in such a form?

Kuja cocked his ashen head thoughtfully. _Unless…perhaps there is one way…_

Ruffling his sugar-white wings Kuja caused droplets of water to spray the rooftop. Though they fell unnoticed, for the torrential rain still poured down onto the fallen city.

An explosion erupted to his east and part of the magnificent Alexandrian Castle crumbled and fell away like a wet sandcastle. The Eidolons still continued their terrifying reign of destruction as relentlessly as the rain bucketed from the sky. If Kuja were going to do something, he'd have to do it now while there was something left to save.

So the exquisite owl flapped his wings, testing the air, then took off in a flurry of feathers, just as the rooftop on which he had perched exploded from one of Ifrit's fire attacks. Unbalanced, he swerved as the flames billowed after him with fiery fingers, emerging safely from the thick smoke that choked the air in heavy clouds.

_I know now what I must do_, he thought soberly to himself.

He sliced through the sheets of rain, ignoring the blinding forks of lightening that streaked the darkness and wondered briefly how Zidane's compatriots were fairing. But before he could ponder it further (there was little he could have done to help them anyway), the bright, iridescent portal yawned before him like the mouth of a monstrous beast.

Kuja swooped down – a blur of white against black – and narrowly missed being wedged between the thick jaws of a leaping Cerberus. He shrieked in surprise and climbed a little higher to avoid any more of those near misses.

Without a second look back he glided through the azure window that loomed in front of him, and into a place that would appear only in nightmares.

The barren land stretched out before him; no doubt it was flat once, but now massive craters dotted its surface and a foul-smelling, black liquid oozed from fractures in the landscape. Kuja was at once aware of the deafening explosions that occurred seemingly everywhere at once. It put the owl in disarray, and he hovered there momentarily before regaining his senses.

Ascending higher into the crimson sky he spotted now a magnificent beast of both scales and fur, dominating the entire landscape with its radiance and power. By a mere glance at this fascinating creature Kuja knew it was Zidane's Eidolon: Amias. He had no idea how it had taken upon its original form but he knew he had no time to figure it out. It was all too clear that the Eidolon was summoning its final attack, one that would not only wipe out the world's inhabitants but also wipe out the entire world itself!

After taking in the bloody corpse of the former Dragon King, and the dying form of the mechanical marvel, Alexander, both of which he had once strived so hard to obtain, Kuja wheeled back around and dived a little lower.

_I know he's alive! I can sense him!_ Kuja thought, scanning the trembling landscape_. But he must be badly injured – even close to death! – for my mind cannot reach his!_

But Kuja knew Zidane was intelligent enough to realise he had to escape from this world before the inevitable happened. So he circled closer to the portal, watching, watching, for his younger brother.

Another unexpected series of explosions took place – emitted from Amias – closer this time! Chunks of earth were catapulted into the scarlet sky and fell back to the ground like meteorites. The brilliant blueness of the portal seemed terribly out of place in such bleak surroundings.

And then when the dust had settled and when he was least expecting it: There he was!

Down below, no more than twenty metres from the exit to the dreadful place, lay two seemingly inanimate forms. One belonged to his brother and – much to his surprise – the other to his brother's supposedly dead wife, Queen Garnet.

Without wasting another second Kuja plunged to the ground like a crashing plane and landed smoothly on the cracked ground. A little breathless, he cried out urgently to his brother:

'Zidane! Zidane!'

The Genome probably would have jumped clean out of his skin if he had not been to overcome with fatigue. He looked up from his wife's face to the elegant visage of the owl: his saviour and brother.

'K-Kuja?' he choked out in a rasping voice. 'K-K-'

'Zidane!' Kuja repeated. 'You must leave now! You understand? Get up and get moving!'

Zidane was covered in blood, his own and his wife's. He was smeared with dirt and his shirt was no more than a few strips of material, clinging uselessly to his bloodied torso as if it too were desperate to be rescued.

His wife was no better – worse if anything. Thorns jutted from her side like rotten branches sprouting from a dead tree. Her body was slumped on the ground beside Zidane's like a discarded rag doll.

'You must go!' Kuja pleaded again.

His brother shook his head wearily. 'I…I can't…g-go on…Kuja…'

It sounded as if just coughing up those few words drained him of his energy. Though Kuja didn't need to look or listen to his brother to know he had nothing left – he could sense it. His very life force wavered and fluttered like a piece of torn ribbon in a wind.

Zidane was dying.

Yet because of this revelation, Kuja was even surer of what he had to do.

'Zidane you're going to get out, you hear me? But I have to give you something if you're to do that.'

Kuja waited until the next string of explosions were finished before he continued – so close now it made his very feathers quiver.

'The one thing the gods did not take away from me was my inner strength, my power and life force if you will. They made it so I could not use my powers, so instead they would lay dormant in me until the time came for them to be passed on. You understand what I'm saying?'

Zidane managed a nod.

'I'm going to give you my power source so you can make it out of here in one piece, alright? Are you listening?'

'B-but…wh-what…will,' the Genome wheezed, 'happen to…y-you?'

'I will die.'

Through his outer pain, an inner pain blossomed so it great it made his broken ribs seem like a grazed knee.

'No!' Zidane shouted.

'Oh quiet you silly boy, you –'

More explosions shook the ground; so close even Kuja lost his balance and fluttered his wings to stay upright. Zidane fell forward and groaned and panted as he pushed himself up to his knees again. It was only luck that meant the portal wasn't destroyed. Next time the portal and the remaining survivors would perish.

'There's no time!' Kuja shrieked. 'Zidane, this is my purpose, to aid you, to repent my sins. I am giving my life so you can live yours! What use have I now to the world in this useless form? With my strength you can escape and save not only yourself, but your wife too!'

Zidane looked despairingly down at Garnet. Blood stained her china-white skin like tears and he recalled her words earlier about wanting to be with him. He didn't care if he died, not anymore…but he just couldn't let her die. Not like this. Not after everything.

'Please Zidane.'

The blonde looked longingly into the beautiful birds sky-blue eyes. 'Kuja I…alright…I accept your offer.'

And then a blinding light consumed them all.

When Zidane opened his eyes he first thought that it was all too late and the next round of explosions had struck and he was certainly dead. Then he thought that Amias could have finally released his attack and had killed them all.

But none of these thoughts were true, for he was quite suddenly thrown completely off balance. In a dizzying moment of disorientation he found himself transported from the dead recesses of the plain, to an entirely new environment where everything was shrouded in a hazy whiteness. There was no ceiling, no floor, no walls, or no left, right, up and down for that matter. Everything just…_was._

'Ah there you are, Zidane.'

A voice called to him. He blinked and then suddenly Kuja stood before him. But he was in human form!

'K-Kuja!' Zidane went to take a step forward but found he could not.

The restored man smiled down at him. 'I want you to live brother. I will give you my life, so you can go on. You deserve to live more than anyone on Gaia now.'

Zidane felt the sting of tears prick his eyes. 'But Kuja…y-you can't die…I…'

Kuja laughed kindly. 'But don't you see? I have finally fulfilled my purpose! By sacrificing my life for yours I will repent for all the sins I have committed.' He smiled. 'Zidane, we've been through so much together, but for the first time in my life I finally feel at peace with myself.'

Zidane felt the hot tears stream down his bruised cheeks as he stared up at the changed man before him.

'Once we fought against each other, then we fought together.' He touched Zidane's forehead. 'And now we shall fight as one.'

'But I – '

'Do not think of it as loss, but a gain. Remember all those years ago when you came to rescue me in the Iifa Tree? You taught me how strong the will to live is, are you now denying what you taught me? Are you going to give up living so easily? Savour this chance, my dear brother. I am indebted to you. Please, don't let me move on to the next life with debts still unpaid.'

Zidane could feel his life wavering. Even in this magical place of light his whole body was weighed down with death and pain. But he understood what his older brother was saying, and he looked up into his radiant face.

'Kuja,' he said, 'thank you. For everything.'

The light surrounding them suddenly became brighter and Kuja's form began to fade. Zidane tried to reach out to him but found to his frustration that he couldn't move.

Kuja smiled tenderly. 'Thank you, Zidane. Thank you. But never forget me, as I will never forget you, brother.'

The last thing Zidane saw was Kuja's blissful smile as the light shrouded him in a blanket of white light, soft as snow.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The blonde's eyes snapped open.

The first thing he saw was the angry red sky and the black blister of the dead sun hanging mournfully in its centre. The remnants of Kuja's last words still drifted in his mind and suddenly he realised the overwhelming sense of new power he had surging through his veins.

He sat up. Looked at his hands. He was still covered in blood, and his wounds still throbbed and stung, but he had energy now! Yet, it felt strange. And he knew why. It wasn't _his_ energy. It…felt lighter…easier to manage. It was Kuja's life force, throbbing through him, keeping him alive.

_Kuja…you didn't have to…_

And then a voice screamed in his mind, **Zidane! I cannot hold it any longer! You must go, quickly now! Before it's too late!**

Amias.

Snapping back to reality Zidane shot unhesitant to his feet like a cat when it hears a dog barking. A sound of skin tearing sounded and pain shot through him, but he could handle it now. Easily ignoring the ache in his body he bent down and carefully picked Garnet from the ground. She was so light now, her fragile form felt as if it would slip from his very grasp.

He was about to make a sprint for the portal when a lump on the ground caught his eye. It was the owl.

Despite his panic Zidane felt a heavy load weigh in his chest. An immense sadness overtook him and he stood there for just a moment looking at the bird. Then he bent down and – careful not to drop Garnet – scooped up its feathery form.

Then just as he begun running, the ground began to shake so badly it was as if the entire planet was falling to pieces, and perhaps it was, for massive cracks the size of tree trunks began to snake across the blackened plain, and Amias let out a gigantic roar.

Zidane, who had fallen, struggled to keep his balance as he scooped Garnet and the owl back up into his arms. The ground shook so hard it blurred his vision so now the portal seemed to be just a blue smudge in front of him.

_Dammit!_

A peculiar crackling noise, like the sound of someone stepping on a dead branch, came from behind him, and with some difficulty he looked over his shoulder. A massive fracture in the land was snaking its way toward him, its black contents spewing up in hot plumes of liquid.

Zidane ran like he had never run before in his life, clutching the bird and his wife closely to his chest. He could hardly run in a straight line, for the shaking had reached its peak, and it took everything just to stay on his feet. If he fell now, the pursuing crack would reach them before he even had a chance to get back onto his feet again.

He was so close to the portal now he could hear it droning!

But much to his horror, the black liquid was flowing at the same pace as he was running toward the azure window…his only way out!

Zidane bent lower and gritted his teeth, pumping his legs as hard as he could manage without tripping. Now he ran to beat the magma, and he ran to elude the crack in the ground.

Explosions were raining everywhere, and through his concentration he prayed to the gods that one of Amais' black balls of fire wouldn't hit the portal.

_Come on! Come on!_

He heard Amias roar again and the explosions increased, one so close it momentarily blocked Zidane's sight with clouds of dust and rained him with thick chunks of earth. He relied on his hearing to lead him to the portal.

Yet much to his dismay when the smoke finally cleared it revealed what he didn't want to see. The ebony juices had reached the portal first! And it was tilted like a vandalised gravestone on its side, the viscous liquid bubbling and spewing, gnawing at its edge like a hungry animal. Not only that, but the portal was sinking into it!

But he was so close!

The very tip of the crack reached him, and he stumbled slightly as the ground gave way beneath the heel of his foot. He pushed harder, desperation taking over adrenalin, and he had the strange sensation that his legs were no longer his own but someone else's, working on automatic like a machine.

With only an arm's width of the portal left and the crack eating away at the ground beneath his feet, Zidane did the only thing left to do. He made a last attempt to reach the window…and jumped!

To him it seemed that the entire world had crawled to halt. As if the very rubble that showered from the sky like hail, and the earth that shuddered and shook so violently, and the vile jet substance that was burning beneath his feet, was no longer moving. As if he had in fact crossed the barriers of space and time, life and death, and was merely floating in a strange nothingness in-between. In that second of an instant, when all was not as it was, Zidane pondered briefly on what exactly had just happened to them all.

Then everything speeded up again and he was flying faster and faster toward the portal whose blue belly was hardly more than a slither now. Just an angle off and he and his wife would plunge head first into the magma of the planet, with everything gone and wasted in vain.

So close so close so close!

Zidane closed his eyes.

And suddenly he felt the familiar feeling of rain drumming on his face.

_**The end. Only kidding! Next chapter up soon! Sorry, that chapter was short too, wasn't it? Never mind. Like I said, I don't like to cram everything in. (sniff)…poor Kuja. But I had to have someone die in this story and I'm afraid it was going to be him. I'd actually planned that from the beginning anyway. **_

**_R&R perdy please!_**


	14. Chapter 14

_Ah…so it comes to an end. I'm actually immensely sad, for I thoroughly enjoyed writing this. Though don't worry…I'm creating another FF9 fic in my head…and maybe I can twist it slightly so it's a sequel to this?_

Thank you to my reviewers! You guys rock! A special thank you goes out to: Protektor93, Atla, demonSurfer, gipsy queen, Emily the freak, fawkespii, tc chan, prozac fairy, malevalla, coalar lee drake, beastie wolf, rose mage, meteor vs holy, Yuffie-babe and anyone else who I missed out! It wasn't intentional!

_Hope you enjoy the ending! And look out for my other stuff! If you liked this you'll probably like, 'Just below the Skin'…FF8. _

_Review one last time! Thanks!_

**Chapter fourteen**

'_What power has love but forgiveness?  
__In other words  
__By its intervention  
_What has been done  
_Can be undone.  
__What good is it otherwise?'  
- __William Carlos Williams _

When Vivi thought about it, the worst time the group experienced out of the entire gruelling ordeal was when they witnessed Zidane disappearing through the portal, because after that they lost the hope that they'd been clinging to – the hope for a happy ending.

There really wasn't much they could do after that except carry on with their set mission to hold the monsters at bay (though they didn't see what good that would do anymore), for none of them could – nor wanted to – follow their possessed hero into the other dimension. So they fought on as a united team with belittled strength in a dull sort of desperation so that everything became a kind of routine.

Eiko cured, Beatrix and Steiner attacked front and right, Amarant and Freya fought back and left, Vivi cast his destructive black magic hovering above.

They hardly saw their foes, so clouded were their eyes with despair and anxiety. Images of Zidane killing an unpossessed Garnet in his unawareness of the situation constantly played out in their minds and the rain only seemed to fall heavier upon their weary bodies.

So when the monsters stopped tumbling in disarray toward them like gushing water from a pot, they hardly noticed at all. In fact, it was only when they had slain the last beast and were waiting for the next that they wondered what was happening. They stood with the rain hammering against their broken armour and battered bodies and the distant sounds of the Eidolons destroying civilisation playing in their ears.

Eventually, still in formation, they lowered their weapons and defences looking mystified.

'Um…anyone care to explain?' Eiko said, looking around at the demolished and deserted square.

For a moment only the hum of the portal in front of them could be heard. And then Freya said a little hesitantly:

'How odd. You don't think…?'

'Surely not?' Steiner gaped.

Vivi was just about to tell them that they should have more faith in their comrade when an earthshaking explosion ripped through their senses and shook the cobbles beneath their feet. Any intact windows shattered and rained splinters of glass, houses shuddered and rubble broke loose from its larger foundations and showered to the ground.

They recovered from the shock quickly and started around them in awe, each knowing that the explosion was far too powerful to have come from any of the nearby Eidolons.

'Where,' Steiner mumbled, 'did that come from?'

But they knew already and absently turned to the portal, whose blue window to the other world was shuddering violently.

'It's Zidane, isn't it?' Eiko said.

Vivi looked doubtful. 'I'm not…sure…It's too powerful – even for him.'

They could tell there were smaller explosions setting off on the other side of the portal, for small tremors were emitting rapidly from its colossal mouth. They all felt so useless standing there immobile and apprehensive, waiting for _something_ to happen. What ever that _something_ was…Tension grew with such an intoxicating rapidity that panic blossomed brightly from its thick vines, each person desperately wanting to run, help, cry, fight.

Suddenly, Beatrix released a cry of alarm. 'Look! Look!'

She pointed to the base of the portal, which hovered inches from the ground. The group watched with transfixed revulsion as a viscous black liquid oozed from its mouth like saliva, dripping in slurping globules to the ground below, where it fizzed and hissed, dissolving the stony surface.

'What is –'

But Amarant couldn't complete his question as another explosion rocked their environment. This time the darkened sky erupted with the blood chilling cried of the Eidolons, swarming in distress around the ruined city. Something had disturbed them greatly, and no one dared make a guess at what could unnerve these frightful beasts.

'Erm…guys?'

The group turned and stared at where Vivi was looking.

'Gods protect us!' Freya breathed as she witnessed what was happening.

The group watched in spellbound dismay and horror as the portal began to sink into the recesses of the acidic juices, being eaten slowly, slowly away. Then another tremor emitted from the portal, stronger than before, and knocked them off their feet. A deep rumbling, like the growl of a gigantic beast thundered through Alexandria, and the group was forced to crawl away from the spreading liquid that puddle further out from the portal, which had tilted on its side, as if cocking its head quizzically at them.

The howling of the Eidolons became palpable, and they tore at themselves and each other in a sudden bout of maddened panic.

'If the portal's destroyed Zidane wont be able to get back!' Eiko cried in despair above the racket.

For the first time since the incident, Vivi actually lost hope. Everything fell away from his grasp, sinking like the portal into a desolate pit of despair. So Zidane had failed? Was this the end of everything? Of life? Existence? With the Eidolons ruling the world it would be no better than if Necron had deposited everything back to the Zero world.

The Eidolon's howling increased to a catastrophic level as the six watched in utter despair as the portal window became nothing more than a slither of blue rising out of the jet liquid like a dying blue fish in an ocean of oil. It was flickering and the droning hum it emitted became less audible but more desperate as it reached its final peak.

Vivi stumbled forward as close to the portal as he dared without the magma burning his feet, and watched forlornly as the it ate away the only entrance and exit to the other world. He felt an indomitable sadness rise and swell inside of him as he realised that things would never quite be the same again. 'Zidane.'

And then, as if to answer his forlorn call, a blur shot from the tiny blue streak and skidded across the rain soaked ground beside him. Vivi's immediate thought was that it was monster, making one last futile attempt to fight and escape from the other planet, but when he stared longer at the bundle and heard Eiko scream –

'Zidane!'

- he knew everything would be okay.

The Genome lay on his back with his eyes closed, the rain hammering his face.

Even when they were laying face down on the Hill of Despair, Vivi had never seen Zidane look so physically destroyed as he did now. His face was covered in so much blood the black understood why he had had trouble identifying him at first. His chest had been clawed open in three ragged lines – his shirt practically nonexistent. Blonde hair matted with more blood, skin the rainbow colour of bruises. A rib protruded from his chest like a horrific claw.

And with an unmatched horror that shook Vivi on a profound level he realised just what – who – the fallen thief was clutching with an unwavering desperation to his battered body. Queen Garnet.

What looked to him like thorns, massive, thick and sickening, curled from her back and sides as if they were grotesque disfigurements. Dark blood oozed from her open wounds, deep cuts shearing her skin, staining the remnants of her dress a reddish-black. Vivi could not see her face and he was glad – he felt certain that she was dead and feared what her once beautiful visage might behold.

Beside the couple was something the little mage did not expect to see. A dead bird of a wonderful white, strangely out of place in this dreary background. Kuja. Dead. His beautiful body lying lifeless on the ground, emitting a sad demeanour all around him.

Vivi took all this in within a few seconds but before he – or anyone them for that matter – could run to their aid, something they all begged would happen, happened.

The portal must have been the trigger, for the moment the black liquid consumed it completely the Eidolons screaming reached its peak and the earth began to rumble to violently beneath their feet Vivi wouldn't have been surprised if Gaia shook itself apart. And then a series of blinding lights lit the darkened sky.

It took a while but the black mage finally understood where the lights were emitting from: the Eidolons! He could see them no longer, though their screams still pierced and vibrated through his entire being. And then with a series of five deafening explosions the Eidolons – once sacred creatures that had aided them in saving the world – were blown to nothing more than atoms, never to be seen again.

They all could hardly comprehend it.

And then faster than their eyes could register the clouds that rolled and thundered overhead above the desolate city Alexandria, broke and began to disperse like steam disappearing through a window in a hot room. They sky could finally be seen; and it was beautiful.

Red and orange swirled in a bright display of shocking colour wile ribbons of cream clouds adorned the sky, tinted with light pinks and hints of glowing gold. All around the sky was clear and calm, and the sun was a bright sphere in a wash of yellows to their right, the sunset signifying the end of a devastating period in their history. It bathed the crumbled mass of ruins in a light so pure it filled them an overwhelming sense of well being they'd never felt before.

Right now, all they wanted to do is live.

With the calm washing over them, the portal gone, the Eidolon's world gone along with

Eidolon's themselves and existence saved once again, the six turned their attention back to the three inanimate forms laying unaware of their triumph.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dull lights flashing. Flashing. Above him? All around him. Everywhere. Flashing incessantly. And then…and then…

Just one light. One bright light. Shining so bright but it didn't hurt his eyes, no, it felt good.

Relaxing…quiet…calm…peace. He'd forgotten…forgotten these things. He felt at one. A whole. A piece of something. Of everything. He could drift here for hours. Days. Months. Years. Forever. To feel nothing… But there was something else…what was it?

_Why can't I…?_

The light's becoming stronger…no pain…no feeling. Stronger. Brighter. Whiteness.

_Think? Think of what?_

Drifting somewhere. Far away. Further than anywhere he'd ever been. Away…away. Away into the blinding light. Upon a liquid atmosphere as smooth as water.

'Where…going…all.'

_What?_

'Finally…said…going…hurt.'

_What are you saying? Who's there?_

Drifting toward the light. The soothing light. Into a world without pain. Alone. By himself. Going away. Away.

_Wait. Garnet? Where are you? Are you coming too? Garnet? WAIT! I can't go on without you! STOP!_

Pain.

'Ouch…'

'He's…up!'

'Zidane…you're…'

_I'm what? _

'You're alive!'

xxxxxxxxxx

_Six months later…_

It was beautiful really; a marvellous piece of craftsmanship that couldn't have reflected his personality better. It held an unmatched striking elegance, with its smooth edges that curled up at the top into a spiral; a perfectly sculpted rose crowning its very pinnacle, as exquisite and as seemingly delicate as a real rose. The memorial poked its way through the ground and beamed proudly at its ruined surroundings, standing out as clearly as dewdrops on a delicate spider's web. Carved from amethyst crystal, a name was impressed within the sparkling limestone besides a superb carving on an owl in flight: Kuja.

Zidane sat alone before his brother's gravestone on the hill outside of Alexandria, where he had once stood, seemingly a millennia ago now, calling upon his Eidolon, Amias, to posses his body. A slight breeze ruffled his hair and clothes, the knee-high grass on the hills around him rippled like a wave on the ocean as the gust shifted its thin blades.

The Genome reached out and ran his fingers over the indentations of his brother's name, feeling the cool surface and the gentle curves of each line. He had given him so much, and he felt like he'd given nothing in return. But he knew kuja wouldn't want him to think that way, and so he had this tombstone erected in his memory, and the owl which his soul had possessed was buried beneath the very ground on which he knelt.

Suddenly a hand clutched his shoulder gently, and he didn't need to turn round to know who it was.

'How are you feeling?'

It still hurt all over. His outer wounds were healing rapidly, thanks to the care, medicine and surgery the medics at Lindblum were able to give him – the place which Freya, Vivi, Amarant and Eiko had rushed both him and Garnet to almost the moment they had lunged from the Otherworld. His skin was still blotched with bruises of blue, black and purple, and he was still wrapped up in bandages and slings to support his broken bones. But he was alive. And so was she.

'I've been better,' he replied to his wife, 'but I'm coping. You?'

Garnet knelt before him delicately, wincing only briefly under the pain. 'The same as you I'll wager.'

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to each other's breathing and staring with a kind of melancholy at the opulent gravestone before them.

'It's beautiful,' she said.

Zidane nodded. 'I wanted it to be.'

He saw her look at him out of the corner of his eye as she said: 'I think he'd have liked that.'

They had removed the black thorns with some difficulty. One had punctured her lung, another missing a main artery by inches. They said it was a miracle she'd survived. Now she too, was swathed in bandages and her back and sides were swollen and bruised. Zidane knew it caused her great pain to move too much, so it made him even more grateful that she had come to see him.

'It's going to be really difficult.'

He looked at her. All her previous beauty had been restored almost fully; the gold-flecked beacons of her eyes were no longer sunken and swimming with insanity, but bright and aware. Her hair hung long and lush over her shoulders, shining in the morning sun, her cheeks glowing from the fresh air.

He cleared his throat. 'What is?'

Without looking she signalled with a flick of her hand to Alexandria. What _remained_ of Alexandria. For it now lay completely in ruins, fragments of stone buildings piled upon each other, empty shells of homes revealing their insides. Some buildings remained mostly whole, looking alien in the devastated area, like a tall tree amidst a field of cut down ones. Alexandria castle had escaped quite a lot of damage, for the West side was still intact, as was the massive sword…but the east side had crumbled away.

The citizens had trickled back into Alexandria, weeping, mourning, and rummaging through their remaining possessions. They had no idea what to do at first, and were grieved to hear of their Queens injuries, so they huddled in groups against their ruins for two days until finally news spread that Captain Adelbert Steiner and General Beatrix were taking charge.

Garnet couldn't have thanked them enough. They held a 'meeting' in what remained of the City Square, the only place that was relatively clear of debris, and got the citizens to work immediately, separating them into groups. Some reunited families, others cleared rubble, and several organized food rations. They also allowed most of the citizens into the remains of the palace where there was shelter and basic amenities.

And then finally, on the fourth day, the very city in which Garnet and Zidane were recovering in sent aid for the citizens: food, water, clothes, even transport out of Alexandria to Lindblum – though few wanted to leave.

So progress was slow, yet the ambition and determination to bring Alexandria back to its bustling self was indomitable, and with volunteers from places like Lindblum, Treno and even Burmecia, Garnet hoped her kingdom would be restored in no time.

Zidane recalled all this with little enthusiasm. He had been involved in the war and yet it was an atrocious shock to return and see his wife's kingdom in such a state. If it wasn't for Steiner and Beatrix's leadership, he doubted Alexandria would have been able to get back on its feet all.

He shrugged. 'Yeah, it'll be difficult but…we'll get through.'

The raven-haired queen brushed up against him and reached out to touch Kuja's grave, running her fingers across the smooth curves. Zidane reached out and placed his hand over hers, tracing the symbols with her in silence. She stopped then, and entwined her fingers with his.

'Zidane.' Her voice was breaking and when he tore his gaze away from their locked hands he saw tears coursing down her cheeks.

'Zidane you'll…you'll stay with me…right?'

The Genome wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if his heart just buckled right then, for the emotion he suddenly felt for his beloved wife in front of him was almost unbearable. So he twisted slightly and encircled her with the arm that wasn't in a sling and pulled her close.

'Garnet.' The emotion was too much and the words got stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath. 'Garnet. I'll never leave you now. Ever. Gods if I knew…if I knew the damage I would cause…I never would've left. I was so selfish…so thoughtless. I know this is…a bit of an understatement, and I don't know if you ever will…but I'm sorry, and I hope you'll forgive me.'

The brown-eyed woman hid her face in his bandaged chest and sobbed.

'If anything I don't deserve you,' the blonde continued. 'But if I go leaving you now it shows how little I've learnt through this…and then Gods, I should've burnt along with Eidolon's planet! But honestly, if I've learnt anything…it's that _I love you_. I love you so freakin' much, Garnet.'

She released a cross between a giggle and sob and looked up at him through eyes glossed with a watery sheen. 'I love you too.'

She smiled thoughtfully, a slight forlorn expression tinting her flawless features. 'You look older now. You've grown up over these past few years.'

He smiled weakly. 'And you're still as hot as I remember.'

She rolled her eyes and punched him lightly on his uninjured arm, then fell back into his warm embrace.

'We'll get back on our feet again,' she said. 'We always do.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day was very still and peaceful, a light rain had begun to fall in thin silvery sheets. The sound of the owls hooting mysteriously echoed through the hushed village, and the babbling stream gurgled contently to itself, dragonflies swooping to the surface where the fish glided gracefully.

Mikoto was the only one outside. Everyone had withdrawn to their homes when the rain had started to fall. She found the rocking of the tiny bridge quite calming, and the sound of the rains gentle song soothed her aching spirit.

It had been months since she'd heard from her brothers. Her two most beloved of relations. Surely they could not be dead? She'd heard malevolent rumours about them since the victory over the Eidolons – which she was thrilled with. She had doubted their chances of success…yet what was success when they weren't there to indulge themselves in it?

And Kuja had worked so hard to train Zidane! Half of that training would have been wasted if he did not return!

Even though the entire village had rejoiced at the good news, Mikoto just couldn't bring herself to. The world may have been saved and existence as they knew it…but what was life without her brothers? The blonde couldn't even bring herself to join in in the festivities. Not until she knew the news – whether it was good…or bad.

'You're soaked! You know, you'll get a cold if you sit out here too long.'

Mikoto's heart leapt into her mouth and for a moment she couldn't bring herself to look up at where that singsong voice had sprung.

'Is this the welcome I get?'

Her head swivelled round jerkily, and there she beheld her brother, standing on the end of the bridge, as drenched as she. Her blue eyes filled with tears and she scrambled up and forward, lurching herself toward him.

'Zidane!' she sobbed.

He caught her in an embrace and let her sob against his chest.

'Hey, how are you doing?'

She tried to calm herself and managed to splutter: 'Fine.'

He laughed and led her back to where she was sitting and reclaimed her place on the soggy planks of wood. Then he began shuffling about in a bag he was carrying and brought out a plastic box.

Mikoto watched his clumsy movements as he struggled to do everything with just one hand – his other arm broken and bound in a sling. In fact, his whole body seemed to be covered in bandages, every other part of him bruised and battered. he looked exhausted, truly like he'd fought a war.No wonder she hadn't heard from him.

'Oh Zidane…'

He looked up at her quizzically and grinned. 'I'm all right. I'm alive aren't I?'

She smiled gratefully then looked down to see that he had laid two plates full of sandwiches on the bridge before her.

'Wha –'

'Remember what I said? I said that when I come back we'd have dinner here on this bridge? Okay so it's not much…and they're kinda getting soggy…but it's still dinner right?'

Mikoto's vision blurred with tears again and she managed a nod before reaching out and tenderly picking up a sandwich. She stuffed it into her mouth before she could start sobbing again. She couldn't even bring herself to say anything! Everything was just so…

Sheglanced around suddenlyas realisation struck her.The blondelooked at Zidane who was watching her sadly through his slender blue eyes. He sighed and averted his gaze to the stream.

She swallowed. 'Kuja…?'

Zidane didn't reply.

Mikoto felt as if her heart had transformed to lead, and it was plummeting down, down, down to her stomach.

_No…no…Kuja…_

'He…sacrifised himself,' Zidane explained slowly, 'to save myself…and Garnet…'

The male genome looked up and startled when he saw Mikoto was smiling. Her eyes were shining, glistening was tears, and her smile was warm and passionate.

'Then…he finally fulfilled his purpose. He can move on…oh Zidane. You set him free.'

Zidane blinked and returned the smile. 'I'd say he set himself free really.'

Zidane's little sister crawled over to him on her knees, closing the gap between the two and settled down in her older brother's arms. She watched the stream bubble and gurgle and then a flash of white further up stream caught her eye. A perfect owl feather was drifting on the currents down stream like a beautiful unmanned vessel, as if it was a last gift from Kuja.

She gave a broad smile when she saw it, and her brother smiled too, for he then realised that it didn't matter what happened next; it was what happened then that counted, for everything around him was as delicate as the feather being washed away beneath the bridge, and all that really mattered – be it family, friends or lovers - was what he had now.

So he watched as another part of his life washed away with the stream, disappearing round the corner and out of sight, like the sun slipping down over the horizon. And he realised then, that all he really could do is live and never take for granted the people around him. Even his enemies, and especially the people he loved most.

_END_


End file.
